MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia hopes to normalize ties with the US and join efforts in the fight against international terrorism.
Speaking in a live state-of-the-nation address, Putin said that Russia is ready to take part in tackling global challenges if its interests are respected.
“We don’t want confrontation with anyone,” he said in a speech before officials and lawmakers in an ornate, white-marble Kremlin hall.
“Unlike our foreign colleagues who are seeing Russia as an enemy, we have never been looking for enemies, we need friends,” Putin said. “But we won’t allow any infringement on our interests and neglect of them.”
Russia’s relations with the West have plummeted to a post-Cold War low over the Ukrainian crisis and the war in Syria. During the US election campaign, President Barack Obama’s administration accused Russia of hacking American political sites and e-mail accounts in an effort to interfere with the vote. The Kremlin has rejected the accusations.
“In the last few years. we have faced attempts of foreign pressure with all tools involved — from the myths about Russian aggression, (allegations) of meddling in elections to the hounding of our athletes,” Putin said, referring to doping scandals.
Putin said that Russia is looking forward to mending ties with the US after President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
“We are ready for cooperation with the new American administration,” he said. “It’s important to normalize and develop our bilateral ties on an equal and mutually beneficial basis. We share responsibility for ensuring global security and stability and strengthening the non-proliferation regime.”
Putin added that Moscow hopes to pool efforts with Washington in confronting international terrorism.
“Our servicemen in Syria are fulfilling that task,” he said.
Russia has conducted an air campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad, helping his forces make significant gains, most recently in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city before the war.
In the speech that was mostly focused on economic and social issues, Putin said that the Russian economy is on the way to recovery, pointing at a growth in some sectors of industry and agriculture. He said agricultural exports this year will top $16 billion, exceeding weapons exports.
The Russian economy contracted 3.7 percent in 2015 and the recession has continued this year under the combined blow of low oil prices and Western sanctions.
Putin said the government should encourage growth by offering support to farmers and create incentives for small businesses.
He noted that inflation, which stood at nearly 13 percent last year, is expected to slow down to 6 percent this year.
Putin hopes for better Russia-US ties, anti-terror action
Putin hopes for better Russia-US ties, anti-terror action
Kyiv under ‘massive’ missile attack, Russian village evacuated after drone strike
- "A mass attack on the capital is still underway," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram early Thursday
- Simultaneously, a Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russia ignited a fire at a Ministry of Defense facility in the Volgograd region
KYIV/MOSCOW: The conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply early Thursday as both sides launched significant aerial assaults, targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas.
The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, came under a “massive” attack from Russian missiles, officials said, while Russian authorities ordered the evacuation of a village in the Volgograd region following a drone strike on a military facility.
"A mass attack on the capital is still underway," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram early Thursday. He reported hits on both residential and non-residential buildings on both sides of the Dnipro River, which bisects the city.
According to preliminary reports, falling fragments struck near two residential buildings in one district. While no fires broke out and no immediate casualties were reported, emergency medical teams were dispatched to the affected areas.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, confirmed at least one hit in an eastern suburb, as witnesses reported explosions resounding across the city.
The southeastern city of Dnipro was also targeted. Regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha stated that while some private homes and cars sustained damage, there were no indications of casualties. Air raid alerts remained in effect in both Kyiv and Dnipro well after midnight.
Drone Strike in Russia
Simultaneously, a Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russia ignited a fire at a Ministry of Defense facility in the Volgograd region.
"Falling debris caused a fire on the grounds of a Ministry of Defense facility near the village of Kotluban," Governor Andrey Bocharov posted on Telegram.
Authorities declared an immediate evacuation of the nearby village "to ensure civilian safety from the threat of detonation during firefighting," Bocharov added.
The exchange of strikes follows a deadly day in eastern Ukraine. On Wednesday, a Russian strike on the city of Bogodukhiv in the Kharkiv region killed four people, including three young children.
Regional military head Oleg Synegubov reported that two one-year-old boys and a two-year-old girl were killed, along with a 34-year-old man. A 74-year-old woman and a 35-year-old pregnant woman were also wounded in the attack. The Kharkiv region has seen intensified Russian attacks on transport and energy infrastructure in recent weeks.
The ongoing violence stands in stark contrast to diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian and Russian officials have been holding US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the four-year invasion. While the two sides successfully conducted a prisoner swap last week, a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict remains elusive.
The human toll continues to mount. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), approximately 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia invaded in February 2022. The agency noted that 2025 was the deadliest year of the conflict so far, with more than 2,500 civilians killed.
