Vladimir Putin warns: “We will achieve our goals by force if diplomacy fails”

Despite the hints of dialogue, Putin repeated his strict demands from June 2024 as a condition for ending the conflict: Ukraine must give up its ambition to join NATO and withdraw its forces from four regions over which Russia claims sovereignty – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson. He emphasized that Russia will achieve its goals by force if diplomacy fails.

The event itself was carefully managed, but included some unusual moments. Putin answered questions from the audience, but critical SMS messages sent by the public were projected on the screens in the hall, in which pointed questions were asked about the economic situation and the reality on the battlefield. In one case, a widow complained to the president that she did not receive the pension she was due after her husband died in the war, and Putin apologized and blamed the bureaucracy for the omission. Since the start of the full invasion, the war has taken a heavy toll, with an estimated 1.5 million soldiers killed and wounded on both sides. Also, towards the end of the press conference, Putin was asked if he was in love – and he simply answered “yes”.