Putin’s Short New Year’s Address Largely Avoids Ukraine and U.S. Peace Talks

President Vladimir V. Putin delivered a brief New Year’s Eve address that said little about the war in Ukraine or ongoing U.S.-mediated peace efforts. In a speech just over three minutes long, Mr. Putin spent a little more than half a minute on the fighting, telling Russian soldiers they were fighting for their "native land, for truth and justice" and insisting the nation would achieve victory.

The remainder of the address echoed recent themes of unity and stability, describing Russia as "one big family" striving for a better future. The short, muted treatment of the war contrasts with Mr. Putin’s 2022 speech, when he spent nearly nine minutes focusing on the conflict and denouncing the West.

Public sentiment appears to be shifting: a December Levada poll found 66 percent of Russians favored peace negotiations, while 25 percent supported continuing the fighting. More than half said they doubted Washington’s ability to broker a deal. Mr. Putin made no mention of President Trump’s peacemaking efforts or of talks with the United States.

His largest concession so far has been to demand Kyiv hand over only the remaining territory in the Donetsk region rather than all four regions Moscow claimed to have annexed in 2022.

Key Topics

Business, World, Russia, Putin, Ukraine, Peace Talks, Zelensky