Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual marathon press conference is perhaps best summarized as a mashup of a municipal board meeting and geopolitical talkfest. Perhaps with that aid package in mind, Putin was pretty unsparing in his remarks on the war. Putin’s press conference lasted more than four hours. Back in 2022, Putin used a longstanding grievance about NATO expansion after the end of the Cold War to make his case for going to war against Ukraine. On Friday, Putin complimented Trump for his efforts to end the war, saying the American president was “making serious efforts to end the conflict.”It is as yet unclear how sincere Putin is about ending the same war.

Source: Egypt Independent December 20, 2025 13:45 UTC