MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin praised the Russian army in his New Year’s Eve address Sunday, arguing society had “united” behind the Kremlin in a scaled-back message that did not mention Ukraine.

In stark contrast to last year, when the Kremlin leader gave a combative speech flanked by soldiers, Putin described 2024 as the “year of the family” in front of the traditional backdrop of the Kremlin.

“We have repeatedly proved that we are able to solve the most difficult tasks and will never back down, because there is no force that can separate us,” Putin said in the message, which aired on state TV.