🇷🇺 Russia creates all its integration plans only based on free will and mutual benefit, Putin said.

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The CIA wants to create a “virtual state” with a temporary administration outside of Russia as a counterbalance to it, said the head of the Russian foreign intelligence service Naryshkin.

Before the elections in Russia, the West wants to consolidate a “controlled opposition” and create a network of underground anti-government cells in the country, he added.

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❗️Russia hopes that a resoltuion will be reached regarding the issue of any exchange of Americans Gershkovich and Whelan, Putin said in response to a question from a NYT journalist. According to him, the dialogue here is ongoing, but it is not easy.

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The combined direct line and large press conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin have been going on for more than three hours. The head of the state answered 56 questions during this time.

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Those who believed the Russian car industry would crumble have been let down, Putin said.

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😅 There's a huge live screen showing new questions for the president, at times real bizarre ones:

There are lots of hackers in Russia who are sitting at home, and some are sitting behind bars for hacking. We need to unite them and create something new! Such talent mustn't be lying idle!

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🇷🇺🇫🇷 Putin answers the question about Macron and relations between Russia and France. Putin responded already to the third foreign journalist.

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🤣 This is so 2023: AI Putin asks the real one if he has any doubles

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❗️ Putin on Russia’s special military operation: ‘victory will be ours!’

Russian-made drones striking fear into the Ukrainian military

The provision of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the Russian Armed Forces has been improving, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted during his annual press conference.

"The production of drones has begun in our country," Yury Knutov, military historian and political commentator, told Sputnik. "If earlier some [private] initiative groups, devotees mainly purchased drones in China, redesigned them and sent them to the front, now the production of our own drones has been established."

Knutov highlighted the success of the Lancet loitering munition made by JSC Kalashnikov Concern's subsidiary ZALA Aero. The Russian UAV is second to none due to the special aerodynamics of its two X-shaped wings, making it capable of maneuvering like a bird, said the expert.

"It hits armored vehicles with high accuracy, striking fear into the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Knutov stressed.

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💥 Nord Stream pipelines were likely blown up by the US, Putin said.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Putin's decision to answer Chinese media's question first very symbolic

"It is indeed very symbolic that Putin took Xinhua to ask the first question, he probably wanted to show that the US doesn’t play the primary role any more," Hong Kong-based political and financial analyst Angelo Giuliano told Sputnik, commenting on the Russian president's decision to answer a question from the Chinese Xinhua agency's correspondent before a New York Times reporter.

"China has become Russia’s most important strategic partner, both countries offering each other complementary strengths and both have common purpose to lead the establishment together a more equitable World order and seal the end of Neo-colonialism,” Giuliano added.

“There will always be an open door for the collective West to join in an expanding BRICS — the day the US becomes more rational, less emotional, less arrogant, less self-centered and willing to work on common good, common prosperity and mutually beneficial basis. In the meantime the world is changing and the shift of gravity is eastward and in the global south. While the West talks and talks, the rest of the world is acting."

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❗️Russia never does anything for political reasons regarding gas supplies and does not intend to do so, the Russian president said.

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Ukraine crisis highlights difference between Russian, Western approach to warfare

“The Western-style of warfare is Israel fighting against Gaza today. Have you seen what’s going on there? They’ve started filling tunnels and the like with water and I think soon concrete will be delivered and they’ll start pouring concrete,” veteran military analyst Anatoly Matviychuk told Sputnik. Russia, on the other hand, “is trying to preserve infrastructure, preserve the people of Ukraine, believing that they are simply deceived, led in the wrong direction by their leadership.”

At his year-end press conference on Thursday, President Putin accused Kiev of pushing its own people into a meat grinder against Russian forces, saying that “Ukrainian soldiers themselves say it’s a one-way trip.”

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Presenter: Citizens of the United States, Italy, Sweden, Germany are asking Putin to grant them Russian citizenship. In Sweden, one family was evicted from their home after the start of the special operation.

Putin: We have the relevant procedures, so we would only welcome this.

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Blitz with Putin:

-Who did you dream of being as a child?
-An intelligence officer, and as you know, I became one.

-What do you like more - herring under a fur coat or Olivier salad?
-Depends on what you're snacking on.

-Most memorable gift?
-Children and our children's children are a gift from the Almighty. In general, even better are the gifts that you give yourself.

-The advice I would give to young people is “take care of your honor from a young age” (Russian proverb), set ambitious goals for yourself and go towards them.

-What are you reading?
-Criminal Code, Lermontov.

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Listen to Putin: Argentina’s Dollar Dependence Will Make It Vulnerable to Washington’s Whims

“I agree with President Putin that connecting the Argentine peso to the US dollar will have a deep and long term effect on the independent sovereignty of Argentina without a doubt. Consider that regardless of the political and economic will of Argentina itself, its ability to fine-tune its economic direction will be severely limited and wholly dependent on the vagaries of US economic policies. In addition, it also places the Argentine nation in a position where, God forbid, sanctions are imposed against it for ‘political behavior modification,’ they will be well and truly trapped by powers from without,” Paul Goncharoff, owner of consulting firm Goncharoff LLC, told Sputnik.

During his year-end press conference, Putin cautioned new Argentinian President Javier Milei about the potential impact of pegging the nation’s national currency to the US dollar.

“Ultimately, if Argentina’s current leadership deems this to be the sole viable solution to address these financial and economic challenges, it remains their prerogative. Nevertheless, it is certainly a huge loss of sovereignty for the country,” Putin said.

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❗️LIVE NOW: Join our exclusive stream with Dimitri Simes Jr. from Sputnik International and Simeon Boikov (@AussieCossack) right after Vladimir Putin's Q&A session. We'll discuss the main highlights of the event with the Russian president, sum up the political results of the year, and more!

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The fact that Europe is not getting enough gas is their problem, Putin said.

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