Russia will win in Ukraine, Putin says in New Year address

MOSCOW (AFP): 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 called on Russians to “support our heroes” fighting in Ukraine, saying: “We believe in you and our victory.”

He wished a happy New Year to “fighters and commanders” in Ukraine and said: “Millions of people across Russia, trust me, are thinking of you.”

The conflict in Ukraine has had a huge human cost – with military deaths on both sides believed to be in the tens, or even hundreds, of thousands.

December 31 marks the 26th anniversary of Putin coming to power.

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.