Putin boasts Russia seized 5,000 sq km in Ukraine after Merz's emotional speech

Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 17 boasted that Russian forces have seized nearly 5,000 square km of Ukrainian territory this year, a stark battlefield “reality check” coming soon after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s emotional remarks about the war being a “daily nightmare.” Putin said Russia now holds the “full strategic initiative,” claiming Ukrainian troops are retreating “throughout the line of combat contact” despite fierce resistance. Watch for details