Putin Vows to Ask Assad About Austin Tice

If Russia's reputation has been made weaker by its ongoing war in Ukraine and the recent regime change in Syria, Vladimir Putin isn't acknowledging it. At his annual news conference and call-in show in Moscow on Thursday, which the AP deemed a "tightly choreographed event" that lasted nearly five hours, the 72-year-old Russian leader didn't seem fazed by the upheaval in either country. Some key takeaways from his address:

• Russia overall: The country, per Putin, "has become much stronger over the past two or three years because it has become a truly sovereign country. We are standing firm in terms of economy, we are strengthening our defense potential, and our military capability now is the strongest in the world." He conceded that "we have some troubles with inflation," which currently hovers at 9.3%, but he insisted that the economy remains stable, per the Wall Street Journal.
• Ukraine: "Our soldiers are gaining territory every day. We are moving forward," Putin said, despite November being the deadliest month for Russian troops during their fight in Ukraine, per Western stats. As for the possibility of peace talks on Ukraine, including with President-elect Trump, Putin said, per the AP: "If we meet with Mr. Trump, we will have things to discuss."

• Syria: The New York Times notes that Putin spoke publicly about the country for the first time since Bashar Assad's ouster, pooh-poohing that development as being bad for Russia. Putin said the Kremlin has made contact with "all the groups that control the situation" in Syria, and that his government is currently mulling whether or not to keep Russia's military bases in Syria. "We'll need to think about it," he said on the latter topic.
• Assad: The Russian leader said he hasn't yet talked with the deposed Syrian president, who's now hunkered down with his family in Moscow, but plans to soon. "I will definitely speak with him," Mr. Putin said. He also vowed to ask Assad if he has any info on Austin Tice, the American journalist who's been held in Syria since 2012. "I promise that I'll ask this question," Putin said of Tice.
• On President Biden pardoning son Hunter Biden: "He's a politician, and it's always important which side prevails: political or human. It turned out that there was more human in Biden. I wouldn't condemn him for this."

(More Vladimir Putin stories.)