The Independent reports:
Angry Russians turn on Putin over poverty and stagnant economy during marathon press conference
The 73-year-old president delivered his customary end-of-year address, fielding questions from a public grappling with a stagnant economy, squeezed by international sanctions after almost four years of relentless war with Ukraine.
Sounds a lot like the UK with a public grappling with a stagnant economy, squeezed by high energy costs and the diverting of billions of taxpayer money to fund corruption and weapons to kill people in Ukraine after having undermined the Istanbul peace talks way back in 2022.
As Sky News reports:
[https://news.sky.com/story/starmer-makes-cost-of-living-promise-in-christmas-message-13487047]
Starmer makes cost-of-living promise in Christmas message
The prime minister's message comes at the end of a difficult year for his government, with economic growth stuttering and criticism over tax rises in the budget.
And that's without international sanctions.
UK PM Starmer is not facing the public to discuss out-of-control immigration, tax rises, the cost of living crisis, his rationale for policy u-turns - instead he hides behind a pre-recorded message that in reality few people will actually listen to because it's just more stage-managed blah-blah-blah spin.
“Putin’s obvious discomfort in the face of these questions illustrates perfectly the pressure that the regime is under as its economic problems intensify,” said Dr Luke Cooper, director of PeaceRep’s Ukraine programme at the London School of Economics’ foreign policy think tank, LSE Ideas.
Nobody doubts the pressure Putin is under. Russian is fighting a proxy war against NATO in the face of major international sanctions. If it's economic problems did not intensify it would truly be a Christmas miracle.
But Russia is not Iran or Venezuela - where sanctions are known to be responsible for killing the civilian population - and it has powerful allies in the form of China and India. Expectations that it would quickly buckle under pressure have proven to be wishful thinking.
However 'stage-managed' and a 'circus-like' Putin's annual event is, at least he is prepared to spend hours on live television answering questions and responding to texts that are not all 'flattering'.
When did Macron, Merz and Starmer last do this - if ever?