Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky used the New Year to call for Russian citizens to back their war campaigns.
Mr Putin was surrounded by troops as he delivered a stern address in which he told Russians to rally behind the country’s troops as he pledged victory over Ukraine.
Mr Putin talked combatively about 2022 as the year that “clearly separated courage and heroism from betrayal and cowardice.”
“The main thing is the fate of Russia,” Mr Putin said. “Defence of the fatherland is our sacred duty to our ancestors and descendants. Moral, historical righteousness is on our side.”
Reiterating that the West is supposedly intent on “destroying Russia” by using Kyiv, Putin vowed he will never allow that. He signalled once again, that the war, albeit hard, will continue.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke directly to the people of Russia saying that their leader is destroying their country. Mr Zelensky said the Russian president was hiding behind his troops, not leading them.
He said: “This year has struck our hearts. We’ve cried out all the tears. We’ve shouted all the prayers.
“We fight and will continue to fight. For the sake of the key word: ‘victory’.”
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