Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country believed it would win in Ukraine, where Moscow has led an almost four-year offensive, in his New Year’s Eve address on Wednesday. Putin’s traditional speech was first aired in the far-eastern Kamchatka peninsula — the first Russian region to enter 2026. He became president of Russia on New Year’s Eve 1999, when Boris Yeltsin stepped down. The televised New Year’s Eve speech, which continues a tradition started by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, is a holiday staple in Russia and watched in millions of households. It is aired on state TV just before midnight in each of Russia’s 11 time zones.

Source: Punch December 31, 2025 16:59 UTC