China-Russia ties underscored in Putin's remarks
China DailyRussian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year news conference in Moscow on Thursday. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during his year-end news conference on Thursday that Russia and China will continue to maintain a high level of economic and humanitarian cooperation, and the roles of the two countries are crucial for global stability. In response to questions about international relations and domestic economic issues, Putin suggested a missile "duel" with the United States to demonstrate how Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile could defeat any US missile defense system. Putin indicated that Moscow is prepared to discuss Ukraine issue in potential talks with US President-elect Donald Trump, mentioning that Russian forces are moving toward achieving their primary goals on the battlefield.