Vladimir Putin holds his big annual conference on Friday morning / The two questions that ordinary Russians will answer

Vladimir Putin is holding his big annual conference on Friday morning in which he takes stock of the past year for Russia and answers questions from journalists and citizens. The most important statements of the Kremlin leader will be presented in this article on HotNews.ro.

The event comes at a time when there is intense diplomatic activity to find a solution to the war in Ukraine, following the invasion ordered by Putin almost four years ago.

It also comes after a marathon European summit that stretched from Thursday night into Friday, in which EU leaders dropped the option of Russian assets and would otherwise help Ukraine through a loan.

For Putin, 73 years old and in power for a quarter of a century, this big annual conference is a media exercise that usually lasts several hours and is broadcast live on television, reports AFP.

In it, the Russian president expresses himself on a wide range of topics, from geopolitics and economy to the concrete concerns of the population and local issues.

As in previous years, his statements regarding the Russian offensive in Ukraine, which will enter its fifth year in February, but also regarding his relations with American President Donald Trump or the escalation of tensions with the Europeans, are awaited with great interest.

On Wednesday, Putin again insisted that Russia's goals in Ukraine will “undoubtedly be achieved,” either through diplomatic or military means. He also took a very harsh tone towards European leaders, whom he described as “little pigs” who want to cause the “collapse” of Russia.

While the United States has stepped up diplomatic efforts in recent weeks to come up with a plan to end the war, Russian forces have this year accelerated their advance on the front in Ukraine, where they control about 19 percent of the territory.

The two questions the Russians want to ask him

War remains a major concern for the Russians. According to an opinion poll conducted by the independent Levada center in mid-December, 21% of respondents want to ask Vladimir Putin on Friday when the “special military operation” in Ukraine will end, according to the terms in force in Russia.

According to this institute, declared a “foreign agent” by the authorities, 16% of respondents would also like to know when living conditions will improve, with Russia under massive Western sanctions and facing high inflation.

“If I had the opportunity to ask the president a question, I would ask him when peace will come for everyone. It would be happiness!”, Anna, a 65-year-old pensioner, told France Presse, interviewed on the streets of Moscow.

Grigori, a 62-year-old logistician, would also like to “hear positive news about the end of the conflict” but also about “a drop in mortgage interest rates”, which are reaching record levels in Russia and holding back investment.

Although the country's economy has so far withstood sanctions aimed particularly at hydrocarbon exports, the difficulties it faces are manifested in labor shortages, high bank credit costs and rising prices.

After two years of growth fueled by the war effort, the Russian economy is panting. The central bank forecasts GDP growth of between 0.5% and 1% for 2025, up from 4.3% in 2024 and 4.1% in 2023.

Vladimir Putin has been preparing for the conference for two days

This big annual press conference is also an opportunity for Vladimir Putin to listen to grievances about the local situation of those in the most remote regions of the largest country in the world, which are problems such as the poor condition of hospitals, the insufficient number of schools or bad roads.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin prepared “late into the night” for this conference on Wednesday, analyzing citizens' questions, as well as throughout Thursday.

Peskov said that the president was asked more than two million questions, which are sorted with the help of artificial intelligence. Social questions “take the first place,” he told the Izvestia newspaper.

The program used to be divided into two parts: the big annual press conference with the participation of the Western press and the “Direct Line” of questions and answers with citizens. From 2023, the two were merged.

Vladimir Putin's meeting with the press generally focuses on politics and major international issues.

The question-and-answer session with the population gives Vladimir Putin the opportunity to promise to solve the problems of individuals, to reprimand regional officials and sometimes to make revelations about his personal life.

These two events, held almost every year since 2001, are the two major annual telecasts of the Russian president.

In 2022, they did not take place, as the Russian military had just suffered major setbacks in Ukraine.