Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his intention to continue the military invasion next year, and warned that the United States would provide Ukraine with the Patriot surface-to-air missile system, saying, "We will destroy it."
Russian President Putin held a press conference for the domestic media in Moscow, the capital, on the 22nd, summarizing the year, saying, ``There is no ideal situation. There is no concern that it will hinder the execution of future plans, including next year."
"I believe that anything related to special military operations is an absolutely necessary step. We should be grateful that our troops and soldiers are protecting Russia's interests, sovereignty and people," he said again. He justified the military invasion and emphasized the idea of continuing it next year.
Regarding the "Patriot" surface-to-air missile system that the United States announced that it would provide to Ukraine, he said, "The Patriot is an old system and does not function like Russia's S300 surface-to-air missile system. It just prolongs it," he criticized.
And he warned, ``If you're going to deploy the Patriot, why not? We'll just destroy it.''
On the other hand, President Putin explained that he had skipped the annual State of the Union address indicating the basic policy of domestic affairs and diplomacy, saying, ``The situation has changed dramatically.
The Russian Presidential Office has announced that it will not hold a large-scale press conference in which foreign media participates, which President Putin has held at the end of each year. There is also a view that people are nervous about holding a press conference.