Putin will not extend New Year's greetings to 'unfriendly' leaders: Kremlin

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian President Vladimir Putin will not extend New Year’s greetings to leaders of “unfriendly countries,” the Kremlin said on Friday.

These include US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

He said Russia has “practically no contact” with these people.

Asked why Putin canceled his traditional year-end news conference, Peskov said the Russian president’s press engagements in the foreseeable future will not be the same as before the pandemic.

This is because the president’s health is “a matter of state security,” he said.

In 2023, the last year before Russia’s 2024 presidential election, Putin plans to focus on affairs “which need to be completed with 100% efficiency,” said Peskov.

Regarding the fall of a Ukrainian missile in Belarus, he said Russia finds the incident “extremely concerning,” adding that Moscow is in constant contact with Minsk.

On the integration of four Ukrainian regions annexed this year, Peskov said the process is proceeding quickly.​​​​​​​