(LONDON) — Russia’s war on Ukraine dominated the opening stages of President Vladimir Putin’s annual marathon press conference on Thursday, with the Russian leader also addressing issues including future relations with President-elect Donald Trump and the situation in Syria.
Among the questions was how Moscow would deal with the incoming Trump administration given Russia was in a “weaker position.”
In response, Putin said he had not spoken to Trump for four years but was ready for a meeting. “You would very much like Russia to be in a weakened position, but I hold a different point of view,” he said.
Discussing the ongoing war in Ukraine, Putin claimed that the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile recently used to strike the Ukrainian city of Dnipro cannot be intercepted by Western air defense systems.
Western technology, he said, “stands no chance” against the missile.
Putin even suggested arranging “an experiment or a duel” in which Russia would select a target for an Oreshnik strike in Kyiv and Ukraine would set up its Western-supplied air defenses to intercept the missile.
“It will be interesting for us,” Putin said.
Asked about missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice — who disappeared in Syria 12 years ago — Putin said he would raise the issue with former Syrian President Bashar Assad, now living in exile in Russia having been toppled by a rebel offensive earlier this month.
Tice’s mother has reportedly written to Putin asking for help in finding Tice, who is now the subject of a major search effort by the U.S. with assistance from regional allies and the new rebel-led authorities in Syria.
Putin said he has not seen Assad in Moscow since he was granted asylum there, but he will raise the issue of Tice’s whereabouts.
“I promise that I will definitely ask this question,” he said. “I can also ask questions to people who control the situation.”
ABC News’ Anastasia Bagaeva, Tanya Stukalova and Fidel Pavlenko contributed to this report.
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