{"id":300702,"date":"2024-12-20T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T09:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=300702"},"modified":"2024-12-22T08:48:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-22T08:48:17","slug":"putin-on-ukraine-israel-trump-zelensky-and-even-porn-highlights-from-his-direct-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=300702","title":{"rendered":"Putin on Ukraine, Israel, Trump, Zelensky and even porn: Highlights from his Direct Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

RT.com \u2013 Dec 19, 2024<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual \u2018Direct Line\u2019 event in Moscow on Thursday during which he addressed a wide range of issues in the marathon Q&A session. From regrets about the timing of Russia\u2019s military operation in Ukraine to blunt comments on global and domestic challenges, the Russian leader offered numerous insights into his thinking. Here are the key takeaways from the event:<\/p>\n

Putin: Maybe we should have launched the Ukraine operation earlier<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Russian president acknowledged that it might have been better to have launched the military operation in Ukraine sooner.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, if it were possible to look at the situation in 2022, knowing what is happening now, what would I think? That such a decision, which was made at the beginning of 2022, should have been made earlier,\u201d<\/em> he said. Putin added that he acted at the time \u201cbecause it was impossible to stand still and wait for the situation to get worse for us \u2013 that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He said the operation is\u00a0a necessary step to secure Russia\u2019s national interests, dismissing accusations of aggression.<\/p>\n

Moscow ready to talk to Ukraine, but Zelensky needs to be elected<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Putin signaled Moscow\u2019s willingness to engage in talks with Ukraine \u2013 but with conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are ready for dialogue, but if not with the head of the regime, then with whom? If he is illegitimate himself. You know, if someone runs for election [and] gains legitimacy, we will talk to anyone, including Zelensky,\u201d<\/em> Putin said, implying that Vladimir Zelensky lacks democratic legitimacy due to his having postponed the elections.<\/p>\n

He also criticized Kiev\u2019s Western backers for prolonging the war by supplying arms.<\/p>\n

Zelensky will likely go abroad<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Putin speculated that Zelensky might seek exile, hinting at the potential political fallout in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will be supported by the people whose interests he serves today,\u201d<\/em> the president remarked.<\/p>\n

Porn is a global \u2018scourge\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Putin addressed what he described as the moral decay caused by internet pornography.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not only our problem, but also the problem of many other countries,\u201d<\/em> he said. \u201cThe answer can be what? In general, you could ban, but you should always offer an alternative that is more interesting than a porn site. So that a person would get in there, open a porn site and say: I\u2019ve already seen this, I want to see something else.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

His comments came amid broader discussions on family values and youth policies.<\/p>\n

The demographic issue is one of Russia\u2019s key problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Putin listed Russia\u2019s declining population as a strategic challenge, blaming economic instability and societal shifts.<\/p>\n

\u201cDemographics are a crucial issue for Russia \u2013 and for much of the world,\u201d<\/em> he said. \u201cWe need to create conditions where people want to have children.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He promised more state support for families, particularly in rural areas, but acknowledged progress has been slow.<\/p>\n

Migration is an issue acute for Russia<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Russia\u2019s labor market is grappling with severe labor shortages, which Putin attributed to a dwindling native workforce and reliance on migrant labor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe migration issue is acute,\u201d<\/em> he admitted, adding that illegal immigration must be controlled while skilled foreign workers are welcomed.<\/p>\n

He noted that regional instability in Central Asia has further complicated migration patterns.<\/p>\n

Relations with China at all-time high<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Putin hailed Russia\u2019s partnership with China as unprecedentedly strong, underscoring its geopolitical importance.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur relations with China are at an all-time high \u2013 both economically and strategically,\u201d<\/em> he stated, highlighting joint energy projects and military cooperation.<\/p>\n

He dismissed claims that Russia is overly dependent on China, calling the partnership mutually beneficial.<\/p>\n

Israel is the big winner in Syria, Russia did not lose<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Turning to the Middle East, Putin acknowledged that Israel emerged as a key player in Syria but rejected any notion that Russia had suffered a setback.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael has gained influence in Syria… but we achieved our objectives,\u201d<\/em> he argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cRussia\u2019s presence there has always been about fighting terrorism and stabilizing the region, and keeping down the Islamic State,\u201d<\/em> he explained.<\/p>\n

Putin reveals no contact with Trump for four years<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Putin disclosed that he has not spoken to incoming US President Donald Trump since he left office in January 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t spoken to Trump for four years,\u201d<\/em> he said, adding that Russia-US relations remain strained regardless of who occupies the White House.<\/p>\n

Putin also criticized what he called the US\u2019s \u201chostile policy\u201d<\/em> toward Moscow under the administration of current President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n

Black Sea oil spill an <\/strong>\u201cecological disaster\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

Putin described a recent oil spill in the Black Sea as an environmental catastrophe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an ecological disaster,\u201d<\/em> he lamented, calling for urgent cleanup efforts and pledging federal support for affected regions.<\/p>\n

He blamed negligence by oil companies and promised that those responsible would face consequences.<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the latest \u2018Direct Line\u2019 \u2013 an annual event during which Putin answers questions from members of the public live on TV \u2013 the Russian president admitted that Russian military operations in Ukraine should have been launched earlier <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39262,"featured_media":300703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-300702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russia"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=300702"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300702\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":300706,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300702\/revisions\/300706"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/300703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=300702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=300702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=300702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}