Putin recorded a New Year’s address to the Russians surrounded by military

The outgoing year has been a year of important steps towards Russia’s full sovereignty, President Vladimir Putin said in his New Year’s address to Russians. According to Interfax, he wrote down this appeal, being surrounded by the military.

“It was a year of difficult, necessary decisions, the most important steps towards gaining full sovereignty of Russia and the powerful consolidation of our society,” Putin said. He also called 2022 “a year of truly pivotal, life-changing events.”

These events, according to him, “became the frontier that lays the foundation for our common future, our true independence.”

“Today we are fighting for this, we are protecting our people in our own historical territories, in the new regions of the Russian Federation, we are building and creating together,” the head of state said.

“It was a year that put a lot in its place, clearly separated courage and heroism from betrayal and cowardice, showed that there is no higher power than love for one’s family and friends, loyalty to friends and comrades, devotion to one’s fatherland,” Putin continued. .

“For years, the Western elites hypocritically assured all of us of their peaceful intentions, including the resolution of the most difficult conflict in the Donbass. In fact, in every possible way encouraging the neo-Nazis, who continued to introduce military, openly terrorist actions against civilians of the people’s republics of Donbass,” he stressed in his New Year’s address. – The West lied about peace, but was preparing for aggression, and today it is no longer embarrassed, openly admitting this. And they cynically use Ukraine and its people to weaken and split Russia.”

“We have never and will not allow anyone to do this,” the president said.