Putin Asserts Dominance in Ukraine Conflict and Outlines Unyielding Goals

During his annual news conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin portrayed himself as a confident wartime leader, showing no signs of compromise in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. He reiterated his goals of "demilitarization" and "denazification" of Ukraine, while boasting that Ukraine's Western support was dwindling. Putin also commented on the detention of two Americans, Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, stating that Russia was in dialogue with the United States regarding their release. The event highlighted the war in Ukraine, with Putin attempting to assure Russians that the invasion would not disrupt their lives.