How the West viewed the "Results of the Year" with Putin. What the media is writing

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the annual direct line that Europe is lagging behind the new policy of the United States, which, according to him, no longer considers Russia an enemy. He also stressed that Russia wants peace, but on terms that eliminate the root causes of the conflict, and is ready to cooperate with the United States and Europe on equal terms. How the world media reacted to the "Results of the year" of the Russian leader is in the Izvestia digest.

The Washington Post: Europe is lagging behind the growing support of Moscow from the United States

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Europe is lagging behind the new policy of the United States, which, according to him, no longer considers Russia an enemy. He criticized NATO's statements about a possible threat from the Russian Federation and referred to the American security strategy, where Moscow is not named an adversary. Putin also said that the tension between Donald Trump and European leaders is related to their support for the Democratic Party.

Against the background of the EU's decision to provide Ukraine with a large loan, Putin called attempts to use frozen Russian assets "open robbery." At the same time, the Russian leader reiterated that Russia is ready for peace with Ukraine and compromises, but only on conditions that eliminate the root causes of the conflict.

BBC News: There will be no more conflicts if the West treats Russia with respect

Vladimir Putin said that there would be no new conflicts after his victory if the West treated Russia "with respect" and took into account its interests. At the same time, he rejected claims of plans to attack Europe and said that Russia was ready to stop fighting, provided that its security was guaranteed and the West refused to "cheat", including on the issue of NATO expansion.

Speaking about a possible peace, Putin repeated previous demands: in particular, Kiev's refusal to join NATO and the holding of new elections in Ukraine. He recalled that Russian troops were advancing at the front, and accused the West of prolonging the conflict. The Russian leader also declared his readiness to cooperate with the United States and Europe "on equal terms."

Financial Times: Putin says Ukraine is retreating

Vladimir Putin said that Russia intends to achieve the implementation of its demands in any peace talks with Ukraine and is confident in the further advancement of Russian troops. According to him, the strategic initiative is entirely on the side of the Russian army, and the Ukrainian forces are retreating along the entire front line.

Speaking at the annual hour-long press conference, Putin made it clear that he was not interested in ending the conflict on terms other than his own. He also dismissed concerns about the state of the economy, saying that inflation is under control and social benefits will not be reduced.

Focus: why 2025 turned out to be such a good year for the Kremlin

In 2025, Vladimir Putin showed confidence against the backdrop of Europe's weakness. The West tried to maintain unity, but its ideas were defeated. In particular, the countries could not agree on the confiscation of Russian assets to help Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine's support in the EU is declining, which allows Putin to look like a winner.

The Russian economy has adapted to its management. In 2024, military spending amounted to just over 7% of GDP. This is below the figures of China and the United States in peacetime. Russian budget revenues, in particular, were provided by the sale of oil and gas, despite the sanctions. This made it possible to maintain the country's budget. At the same time, all the disasters predicted by the West — for example, economic collapse, defeat at the front and political isolation — did not occur. This allowed Putin to strengthen the country's authority.

Bloomberg: Putin declares readiness to end the conflict

President Vladimir Putin has said he is ready to discuss ending the conflict in Ukraine. He also noted that he "practically agreed" with the proposals for completing the CBO put forward at the summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska in August. Putin stressed that the issue of negotiations is entirely on the side of Western opponents, primarily the leaders of Ukraine and Europe.

Overall, Putin's press conference lasted 4 hours and 27 minutes. He answered 77 questions, mostly related to Russia's domestic policy. When asked about his personal life, he smiled and said he was in love. In general, the event continues the tradition of annual marathon press conferences, demonstrating Putin's position on key issues and the expectations of Russians.

Euronews: Putin talks about successes on the battlefield

During the annual direct line, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russian troops had completely seized the strategic initiative in the conflict in Ukraine. He stressed that despite the different rates of advance in certain sectors of the front, the enemy is retreating along the entire line of contact.

Kiev and its allies rejected these demands, saying that Ukrainian territory could not be ceded under the Constitution. At the same time, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that the country's position on NATO has not changed, and US security guarantees are important for Ukraine, which even legally binding European support cannot replace.