Vladimir Putin says ‘victory is nearer’ in Ukraine | BBC News

Speaking at a marathon end-of-year press conference, Russian president, Vladimir Putin said he should've acted earlier in Ukraine and prepared more before the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

He said "victory is nearer" in Ukraine, the situation was "changing drastically" and that Russian troops were regaining more territory every day.

Putin also denies that the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime is a defeat for Russia and that he will "definitely" meet with former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Moscow following the toppling of his regime.

The Russian president took the opportunity to address other domestic issues including telephone scammers, the country's low birth rate and problems young people are facing when trying to get a mortgage.