Putin’s New Year’s address: what the dictator lied about
фото: Reuters
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, in his New Year’s address to his own people, once again justified the aggression against Ukraine, agitated Russians to participate in the war, and expressed confidence in his “victory.”
In a speech that lasted only 3 minutes and 20 seconds, Putin devoted a significant portion of his speech to the participants in the so-called “special military operation.” The Kremlin leader cynically stated that Russian troops invading the territory of a sovereign state were “fighting for truth and justice.”
Putin called them so-called “heroes” and pledged his support for them “in word and deed.” He also hinted that he believed in “victory” over Ukraine.
Putin also spoke of the alleged nationwide support for the war and that all Russians were “mentally with the soldiers.” At the same time, Putin did not mention a single word about the negotiation process, indicating Russia’s determination to continue waging the war.
“You have taken on the responsibility to fight for your native land, for truth and justice… We believe in you and our victory. Together we are one big family… Let’s move forward only for the sake of our children and grandchildren, for the sake of our great Russia,” says the Kremlin dictator.
At the same time, the Russian president decided not to mention the losses of his army, which it suffered in 2025 or in all the years of the full-scale war. While Putin talks about “successes” and “unity”, the reality on the front looks different for Russians. Thus, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of December 31, 2025, the total losses of the Russian army personnel (killed and wounded) amounted to 1.2 million people .
Otherwise, the text of Putin’s address was quite standard. Nothing special, just another phrase about “Russia’s thousand-year history” and so on. The dictator described Russians as “one big family” and referred to “traditions, faith, and memory” as unifying characteristics.
Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted that Putin’s narratives about Russia as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state, whose people are united by a common love for the Russian Federation, contradict the xenophobic views of the Russian ultra-nationalist community – one of the main support groups for the dictator, which fervently supports military actions and advocates for a Russia focused on ethnic Russian identity and the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
As a reminder, on December 31, in the last minutes of 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky traditionally addressed Ukrainians with New Year’s greetings. This is the fourth New Year’s holiday that our country has celebrated in the context of a large-scale war unleashed by the Russian Federation.
The head of state noted that he would give everything in the world to be able to say that peace will come in a few minutes: “Unfortunately, I cannot do this yet, but with a clear conscience we can all say that Ukraine is definitely doing everything for peace.” We want the end of the war, but not the end of Ukraine , Zelensky emphasized.
By the way, US Ambassador to Russia Douglas Dykehouse congratulated Russians on the New Year on behalf of the American people. He began his speech in Russian, later switching to English. Dykehouse emphasized that the “spirit of this season” encourages reflection, renewal and hope. Separately, he noted that both Russians and Americans supposedly share deep traditions of resilience, creativity and love for their country.
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