【By Liu Bai, Observer News】On December 17 local time, Russian President Putin directly called European leaders "little pigs" who wanted to profit from Russia's disintegration during an annual meeting held by the Russian Ministry of Defense. He also attributed the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict to former U.S. President Biden, claiming that he "consciously ignited the war," and that "the little pigs in Europe" immediately stood on America's side.

President Putin of Russia attends the expanded meeting of the Russian Ministry of Defense's Departmental Committee every year. According to convention, the meeting will summarize the work of the Ministry of Defense over the past year and determine tasks for strengthening national defense capabilities and further developing the armed forces.

"Russia has demonstrated its stability in the fields of economy, finance, internal political situation, and defense capabilities." Putin praised the Russian military, stating that "no army in the world" could be compared with the "battle-hardened" Russian military.

He said that Russia is open to the efforts of U.S. President Trump to promote a peace agreement in Ukraine, and that as Russia "inevitably becomes stronger," Europe would be forced to negotiate with Russia.

He accused the United States of provoking the war during Biden's administration, but Russia successfully resisted the Western attempts to defeat Russia.

"Everyone thought they would quickly destroy Russia. The little pigs in Europe immediately joined in... hoping to make a big profit." Putin said, if not with the current political figures, then after the replacement of European political elites, Russia is willing to resume diplomacy with the European continent.

"The goal of the special military operation will be fulfilled unconditionally," Putin added, stating that the Russian army currently holds a strategic advantage along the entire front line in Ukraine and can further increase the offensive.

Putin attended the expanded meeting of the Russian Ministry of Defense Departmental Committee on the 17th. Kremlin

This is not the first time that Russian officials have used the term "little pigs" to describe Western leaders. In 2022, Russian Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Medvedev used this wording on his Telegram channel.

Putin said that Russia prefers to achieve its goals through diplomatic means, "eliminating the root causes of the conflict," but "if the opponent and their foreign backers are unwilling to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will liberate historical territories through the battlefield."

He also emphasized the enhancement of Russia's military capabilities, especially the modernization of its nuclear forces. The "Kh-35" nuclear-powered cruise missile and the "Poseidon" nuclear-powered unmanned submersible have successfully completed tests. "Due to the use of nuclear propulsion, these weapons will dominate the world for a long time, unmatched and unbeatable, ensuring Russia's global security and strategic balance for decades to come."

He stated that the "Ovod" intermediate-range hypersonic missile system will enter combat readiness by the end of the year. Russia had previously used the conventional warhead version of the "Ovod" missile to strike a factory in Ukraine in November 2024, and this missile is said to be "unstoppable."

Putin also revealed that Russia is "developing new destructive weapons," which "no other country in the world has, and will not have in the short term."

Russian Defense Minister Belousov told Putin that the "key task of the Ministry of Defense next year is to maintain and accelerate the current pace of advancement."

He said that Ukraine "failed to successfully reclaim" the frontline town of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, despite Zelenskyy's visit to the area last week.

The Financial Times reported that these tough statements by Putin indicate that Russia has no intention of compromising on the objectives of the special military operation in Ukraine.

Trump previously revealed that after Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met with U.S. envoys and European leaders in Berlin earlier this week to draft a protocol, Russia and Ukraine were "closer than ever" to reaching an agreement.

However, Zelenskyy admitted that there are still differences between the U.S. and Ukraine on territorial concessions, which are the conditions that Putin requires to end the conflict.

On the same day that Putin made his speech, Zelenskyy said: "Today, we heard signals from Moscow indicating that they are preparing next year as a year of war. These signals are not only directed at us. Our partners must see this and react, especially our American partners."

"But the words and signals from Russia, including formal orders to its army, are completely different from this."

Zelenskyy also accused Russia of "disrupting the diplomatic process, trying to use various diplomatic language, and pressuring on certain key points in the documents" to "mask the intent to destroy Ukraine."

American officials said that Trump believes he can persuade Putin to accept a ceasefire, but the details of the security guarantees for Ukraine in the plan have not been disclosed yet.

The Kremlin has repeatedly emphasized that it will not accept any modifications to the peace plan from Ukraine or Europe, and requires Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas front lines before any ceasefire. Currently, Kyiv controls about one-third of the territory in the region.

Two informed sources revealed that recently, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bentsen told EU officials that if Moscow refuses to participate in the peace process, the U.S. may impose more sanctions on Russia, focusing on its oil exports and financial sector.

Previously, NATO Secretary General Rasmussen made remarks that "one must be prepared to go to war with Russia," and the Kremlin responded on December 14, calling the statement "irresponsible," indicating that Rasmussen does not understand the destruction caused by World War II.

"This seems to be a statement by a representative of a generation who have forgotten the real appearance of World War II," said Peskov, the Russian president's press secretary. "It is regrettable that Mr. Rasmussen made such irresponsible remarks, indicating that he does not understand what he is saying."

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7584998491270480399/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.