Vladimir Putin lends himself to his annual question-and-answer session on Thursday, December 19, a widely staged television show, but also a rare opportunity to question the Russian president on angry subjects. There is no shortage of concerns this year, marked by numerous international crises (Ukraine, Syria) and a creeping economic crisis.
At the same time, the war continues in Ukraine, where both Moscow and kyiv are trying to preserve their territorial advances, while the arrival at the White House of Donald Trump, who has announced that he wants to quickly reach an agreement, could spell the end. fights. The United Kingdom will provide exceptional aid to Ukraine worth 225 million pounds of arms, London announced Thursday. On the side of the Russian allies, around a hundred North Korean soldiers engaged on the Ukrainian front have died this month alone.
Information to remember:
⇒ Vladimir Putin takes part in his annual question-and-answer session on Russian television
⇒ Volodymyr Zelensky calls for unity to “save Ukraine”
⇒ Around a hundred North Koreans are believed to have died on the Ukrainian front
Vladimir Putin admits he does not know when Russia will succeed in ousting the Ukrainian army from its Kursk region
Vladimir Putin admitted this Thursday that he did not know when his army would manage to push back Ukrainian forces from the Russian region of Kursk, a small part of which they have controlled since a surprise offensive in August. “We will absolutely defeat them,” assured the Russian president during his major annual press conference, answering a question from a resident of this region. “But as for the question of a specific date, I’m sorry, I can’t say that now,” he admitted.
This major speech broadcast live on television has taken place in various formats almost every year since the Russian president came to power a quarter of a century ago. It includes questions from the press, including Western ones, and responses to the grievances of the Russian population. Some 1.6 million questions were submitted, according to a count on Wednesday reported by the Ria Novosti agency.
During this event, the Russian president also recognized from the first minutes that galloping inflation in Russia was a “worrying signal”, while wanting to be reassuring about the prospects of the Russian economy. Salaries have “increased” and the situation is generally “stable”, he stressed.
Volodymyr Zelensky calls for unity between Europe and the United States to “save Ukraine”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for unity between Europe and the United States to achieve peace and “save Ukraine”. “We need this unity to achieve peace. I think only together the United States and Europe can really stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and save Ukraine,” he told his arrival at a summit of 27 in Brussels.
The shadow of Donald Trump hangs over this summit: the leaders of EU countries want to refine their strategy on Ukraine as on Syria, during their last meeting before the real estate magnate returns home. White. Before he takes office on January 20, the Europeans seek to send at least two messages: “no decision on Ukraine, without Ukraine”, and “no decision on Europe without the Europeans”, according to diplomats in Brussels.
225 million pounds of military equipment delivered to kyiv from London
The United Kingdom will release 225 million pounds sterling (273 million euros) of military equipment for Ukraine, including drones, air defense systems and munitions, the British Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday in a press release. This announcement comes the day after a visit by British Defense Minister John Healey to kyiv, during which he met his counterpart Roustem Umerov and pledged to “step up” the UK’s support for Ukraine. in 2025.
This new package includes in particular 92 million pounds to strengthen the Ukrainian navy and 68 million pounds intended for air defense, with radars or anti-drone systems.
At least 100 North Koreans killed in Ukraine this month
At least 100 North Koreans were killed in December fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker said Thursday, echoing similar reports from kyiv and Washington. “In December, they participated in real combat, during which at least 100 deaths occurred,” MP Lee Seong-kweun said of North Korean troops, after a briefing given by the National Service of Intelligence (NIS) to parliamentarians in Seoul.
“The NIS also said the number of wounded is expected to reach nearly 1,000” among North Korean troops, Lee Seong-kweun added. According to the NIS, the high number of casualties can be explained by “the unfamiliar battlefield environment, where North Korean forces are used as front-line assault units that can be sacrificed, and by their lack of ability to counter drone attacks. The MP also noted “complaints among the Russian military that North Korean troops, due to their lack of knowledge about drones, are more of a burden than an asset.”