Vladimir Putin held his first annual press conference since the start of the war in Ukraine. The Russian president said the goals of Russia's 'military special operation' in neighbouring Ukraine were the 'denazification', 'demilitarisation' and 'neutral status' of the country. 'There will be peace when we achieve our goals,' he said. Russian citizens were expected to phone in with questions for the president along with those asked by journalists. Putin's last such news conference was in 2021 and he has had limited interaction with the foreign media since Russia invaded Ukraine

Source: The Guardian December 14, 2023 11:51 UTC