News Beat
Putin vows victory in Ukraine in chilling New Year message days away from tyrant overtaking Stalin in grim war milestone
PUTIN has vowed he will defeat Ukraine in a chilling New Year message.
His disturbing speech, in which he congratulated his soldiers on a premature victory, comes as he edges close to beating a grim war milestone.
In two weeks’ time, Putin’s war against Ukraine will have lasted longer than Josef Stalin’s crusade against Europe in WW2.
Mad Vlad said in his last address of 2025: “I congratulate all our soldiers and commanders on the upcoming New Year!
“We believe in you and our victory.”
The patriotic-charged address came after the aging tyrant ordered his army to snatch more territory in 2026.
Last week, the war-hungry dictator announced he had captured two more towns in eastern Ukraine – Myrnograd and Guliaipole.
Across the whole year, Russia claims to have taken 6,000 sq km of land from the Ukrainians.
ISW studies show the true number is far lower at around 4,700 sq km – an area about twice the size of Moscow.
This fresh tactic to secure as much land as possible off the Ukrainians appears to come as revenge for a Russian claim that Ukraine deliberately targeted a Putin palace at Valdai in Novgorod region.
Ukraine denies targeting the tyrant’s home with drones despite the Kremlin’s outburst.
Putin even complained to Trump over the unfounded attacks as the US president said if the claims were true then he would be “very angry”.
Kyiv sees the hoax claims as a “false flag” designed to further derail peace talks so Putin can snatch more land in the coming months.
In a serious blow to peace hope, Russia has since threatened to kill Volodymyr Zelensky and put his body on public display over the alleged plot.
Zelensky met Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home last week where the pair discussed the latest peace developments.
Trump saluted the bravery of Ukraine’s leader and his people as he called the talks “terrific” and said he had “made a lot of progress” towards a deal.
He said: “I think we’re doing very well. We could be very close. There are one or two very thorny issues, very tough issues, but I think we’re doing very well.
“I really believe we’re probably… closer than, by far, closer than ever before with both parties. In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other.”
Zelensky said he hopes the meeting will “bring peace as quick as possible”.
Before the meeting, Trump and Putin even had a phone call which the president described on Truth Social as “very good and productive”.
Russia refused to say if it believes peace can be achieved quickly, instead saying a temporary ceasefire – an idea being pushed by Europe – will never be accepted.
They want a complete end to the conflict but only on terms which benefit Putin’s greedy thirst for territorial gains.
