The ‘optimistic’ speech was delivered exactly 25 years since the Russian president took office from predecessor Boris Yeltsin.
President Vladimir Putin has said in a New Year’s address that Russia will move forward with confidence in 2025 and that Russians should be “proud” of what the country had achieved during his quarter century in power.
The seasonal three-and-a-half-minute message was delivered on Tuesday, exactly 25 years since Putin took over from predecessor Boris Yeltsin, who resigned suddenly on the last day of 1999.
“And now, on the eve of the New Year, we are thinking about the future. We have faith that everything will be fine, we will just move forward. We know for sure that the absolute value for us was, is and will be the fate of Russia, the well-being of its citizens,” said Putin.
Putin, 72, paid tribute to Russian soldiers fighting in the war in Ukraine, describing them as heroes. “We are proud of your courage and bravery. We believe in you,” he said.
“In honor of you (Russian soldiers), in honor of the 80th anniversary of the great victory and as a tribute to the memory of our ancestors who fought for the motherland at all times, the year 2025 has been declared the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in Russia,” he added. he.
The speech came at a key moment in the nearly three-year conflict, with Russia steadily advancing on the battlefield and US President-elect Donald Trump promising a swift ceasefire once he takes office.
Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Moscow, said the Russian president avoided discussing the war’s trajectory in his speech.
“Despite Putin’s optimistic message, the mood here remains gloomy. Many here hope that the New Year will bring an end to the war and conflict in Ukraine and a better economic outlook for a population facing unprecedented economic challenges,” she said.
Putin said that Russia had strengthened its unity in the first quarter of the 21st century, achieving important goals and overcoming trials.
“We still have a lot to decide, but we can rightly be proud of what has already been done. This is our common heritage, a reliable basis for further development. Our country – independent, free and strong – was able to respond to the most difficult challenges,” he said.
The televised New Year’s address, which continues a tradition started by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, is a holiday staple in Russia and is watched by millions of families.
It is broadcast on state television just before midnight in each of Russia’s 11 time zones starting with Kamchatka and Chukotka in the Far East and is usually a brief summary of the past year’s events as well as wishes for the coming year.
