Putin's Russia

Usual tone at Putin's marathon press conference

Vladimir Putin has begun his annual marathon press conference in Moscow, where he will take selected questions from the Russian public for several hours.

Regarding the Ukraine war, it sounds like usual - the war is the fault of the West and Ukraine and the "underlying causes" must be addressed, writes the independent Moscow Times.

Asked by NBC News if he is prepared to take responsibility for the killing after rejecting the US peace proposal, he responds by placing all the blame on Ukraine, and once again falsely claims that they started the war.

Putin will also receive many domestic political questions, including about the cost of living and the low birth rate.

Regarding the birth rate, he compares it to Japan to emphasize that it is not unique to Russia, and at the same time urges Russian cultural figures to make it "trendy" among young people to have children.

Analysis: A difference in Putin's speech - now Europe is enemy number one

Vladimir Putin's annual giant press conference did not contain much new - familiar accusations that Ukraine started the war, claims of progress on the ground and zero willingness to compromise, writes the BBC's Vitaliy Shevchenko.

One clear difference from previous speeches, however, was that the US is no longer singled out as the enemy, he continues.

"Since Donald Trump's re-election, Europe has been painted as Russia's number one enemy in the West."

CNN's Christian Edwards points out that respect was a running theme during the four-hour speech. When asked if there would be a new "special military operation", Putin replied that it would not happen as long as the West treated Russia respectfully.

"At one strange moment, he said that he was willing to work with Britain, Europe and the US - but 'on equal terms and with mutual respect'", writes Edwards.

Putin accused NBC News reporter Keir Simmons of an “inappropriate” suggestion that he had dismissed Trump’s peace proposal.

“Putin is determined not to be accused of blocking Trump’s peace efforts, but equally determined not to agree to a deal that does not meet his demands,” Simmons wrote for NBC’s sister channel Sky News.