Putin: "There will be no more wars if the West doesn't deceive us again."

Moscow"This isn't a hotline, it's a circus." This is one of the hundreds of messages projected on screens at Vladimir Putin's annual press conference. Carefully selected journalists and citizens participated in this four-hour-plus Christmas spectacle, holding up signs to catch the president's attention and have the chance to ask him a pre-screened question. On this tailor-made stage, the Kremlin leader once again railed against Europe, celebrated Brussels' decision not to use Russian assets to finance the war in Ukraine, and opened the door to halting the attacks on Kyiv so that elections can be held, provided Ukrainians are allowed to vote.

Two days after calling European leaders "pigs"Putin has not backtracked, but rather seized upon the fact that the presenters were using the term casually to clarify that he "wasn't referring to anyone in particular, but to an undefined group of people," and to assert that he "never makes personal attacks." But his resentment toward Europe has continued. When asked if there would be new wars in the future, he warned: "There won't be any if they treat us with respect and respect our interests, as we have always tried to do, unless they deceive us as they did with NATO's eastward expansion."

The Kremlin leader has also criticized the European Union's failure to agree on diverting seized Russian assets to fund the Ukrainian military effort. "Why can't they carry out this theft? Because the thieves could suffer serious consequences," he asserted. According to Putin, these attempts represent "a setback for the EU's image and a loss of confidence in the eurozone," since oil-producing countries, which hold gold reserves on the continent, "are beginning to suspect, doubt, and worry." "Regardless of what they steal, at some point they will have to return it," he warned. He suggested that if the pretext for freezing Russian assets is disagreement with the invasion of Ukraine, then a country opposed to the LGBTQ+ movement could seize the assets of another country that defends the rights of this community.

Rigged elections

The Ukrainian president has been the other target of the show's blows. While one of the anonymous messages read, "How come he hasn't eliminated Zelensky yet?", Putin opened himself up for the first time to guaranteeing the security of elections in Ukraine. "At least by refraining from mass attacks on election day," he clarified. However, there was a price to pay: that Ukrainians living in Russia could also vote. According to the president, this amounts to between five and ten million people, a figure that could have a very significant impact on the vote count and legally complicate the elections.

The Russian leader insists that Zelensky is not ready for peace, although he admits "certain signs" of a willingness to engage in dialogueHe wants Trump to tire of hearing him proclaim that he is ready to resolve the conflict "by peaceful means," so he found it inappropriate that the NBC journalist suggested Moscow had rejected his plan. Putin believes that "the ball is in the court of the Kyiv regime and its European backers," although the price for a ceasefire has not changed: "The root causes of the conflict must be addressed," meaning, his maximum demands must be met.

In this ongoing effort to ensure the US president doesn't receive the wrong messages, the broadcast began with a comprehensive review by the Russian leader of the frontline situation. "Russia is advancing on all fronts, and the enemy is retreating in all directions," he stated, adding that before the end of the year "we will see new Russian military successes."

The Russian president was annoyed that Zelensky questioned the Kremlin's conquests, so he gave the floor to an army officer who fought in Siversk (Donetsk), a town the Kremlin considers occupied despite independent military analysts' denials. He was also bothered that the Ukrainian president visited Kourakhsk (Kharkiv), another city where the Kremlin had declared victory weeks earlier. "Zelensky is a talented artist," Putin began, implying that the images of the Ukrainian president at the entrance to the municipality were fake. "They say the obelisk looks completely different now, but that's not important. This obelisk is a kilometer from the city. So why are you standing at the gate? Go inside if Kopiańsk is under your control," he said sarcastically.

The presenters laughed at the joke, while the Kremlin press secretary introduced a young man who wanted to propose to his girlfriend live on air. "I'd like to invite you to the wedding," the young man said, addressing Putin. The president encouraged him: "The people of the Caucasus have the excellent tradition of marrying off their children very young. It's really the right thing to do; we should follow their example." And the presenters continued laughing.