Russia unmoved — Putin opens year-end presser with maximalist demands for Ukraine
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Dec. 19 that Moscow remains ready to engage in peace talks only on the basis of its maximalist demands as he began his annual end-of-year press conference.
"We are ready and willing to end this conflict by peaceful means based on the principles I outlined last June," Putin said, adding that Russia does not see Ukraine's "readiness" to discuss territorial issues.
The remarks underscore Moscow's continued insistence on terms Kyiv has repeatedly rejected, even as pressure grows to explore diplomatic paths to ending Russia's war.
Putin referred to demands he first publicly outlined in 2024, when he conditioned any ceasefire on the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions Russia claims to have annexed, despite not fully controlling any of them except most of Luhansk Oblast.
Moscow now focuses particular pressure on eastern Ukraine, demanding that Kyiv pull its troops out of the Donbas, including parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts that Russian forces have failed to capture over more than a decade of war.
"Nevertheless, we see, feel, and know about certain signals, including from (Ukraine), that they are ready to engage in some kind of dialogue," the Russian president added.
Putin also claimed that Russian forces are advancing along the entire front line, alleging that Moscow has fully occupied Kupiansk, a city in Kharkiv Oblast that President Volodymyr Zelensky recently visited.
Dismissing Zelensky's appearance in the city, Putin said he did not pay attention to it, calling the Ukrainian leader "an artist," and insisting Kupiansk was under Russian control.
"I am confident that by the end of this year, we will witness further successes by our soldiers on the front lines," Putin added.
During the press conference, Putin also addressed Russia's economic situation, acknowledging that growth is slowing and describing the trend as "deliberate."
"These are deliberate actions on the part of the government and the Central Bank related to inflation targeting," Putin said. "The slowdown in economic growth is a conscious step, a price to pay for maintaining the quality of the economy."
Russia's GDP is expected to grow by 1% this year, four times less than a year earlier.
The press conference is a tightly managed event that Putin has held almost every year of his rule, with notable exceptions — most prominently in 2022, when the format was canceled after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine.
The event combines a press conference with a call-in show, during which Putin fields questions purportedly submitted by Russian citizens.
The topics usually focus on social policy, infrastructure, and complaints about officials, though questions related to Russia's war have increasingly featured in recent years.
