Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said responsibility for ending the war in Ukraine lay with the West and Kyiv, while praising Russia’s recent battlefield advances and warning of further military action if negotiations fail.
Speaking at his annual end-of-year press conference, a high-profile televised event that has become a fixture of his 25-year rule, Putin struck a confident tone, saying Moscow intended to press ahead with its campaign in Ukraine. He reiterated claims that Russia would seize the remainder of Ukrainian territory it has declared as its own if talks do not produce results.
“The ball is now fully and completely on the side of our Western opponents… first of all the head of the Kyiv regime and their European sponsors,” Putin said.
The 73-year-old leader denied personal responsibility for the tens of thousands of deaths since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, calling it Europe’s worst conflict since World War II. “We did not start this war,” he said, repeating a long-standing Kremlin narrative. “We do not consider ourselves responsible for the loss of life.”
Putin also rejected claims that Moscow had stalled peace efforts, saying Russia had agreed to “some compromises” in earlier talks, without providing details.
Battlefield advances
Putin said recent Russian advances should compel Ukraine to agree to a settlement, asserting that Moscow’s forces were making progress across the front line.
“Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact,” he said, adding that he was confident Russia would capture additional settlements before the end of the year.
According to analysis by the US-based Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces made their largest territorial gains in more than a year in November.
Putin warned of “severe” consequences if European Union countries moved ahead with proposals to use Russian assets frozen in Europe to support Ukraine’s recovery and defense. His comments came after EU leaders failed to approve a plan to tap the funds during late-night talks in Brussels.
He also sought to reassure Western audiences, saying Russia would not attack other countries if it was treated “with respect,” without elaborating on what that meant. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking during a visit to Warsaw, warned that Russia could target Poland if Ukraine were to fall.
Economy and sanctions
The hours-long press conference featured questions from journalists and call-ins from across Russia’s 12 time zones. The Kremlin said nearly three million questions were submitted, and security in Moscow was tightened for the event.
Addressing the economy, Putin downplayed the impact of Western sanctions and the strain of increased military spending, though he acknowledged that Russian households had seen their purchasing power decline.
“We will do everything possible to ensure that the Russian economy, the macroeconomy, is healthy and strong,” he said.
Russia’s central bank announced on Friday that it was cutting its benchmark interest rate to 16 percent, citing slowing economic growth. Putin also claimed that around 400,000 people had signed up this year to fight in Ukraine, despite the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Russians following the 2022 mobilization drive.
Repression denied
Asked about civil liberties, Putin rejected criticism that dissent over the Ukraine war has been crushed under wartime censorship laws. Thousands of Russians have been fined or jailed for opposing the offensive, but Putin insisted that expressing alternative views was not dangerous.
“We have no repression,” he said.
Most of Putin’s prominent political opponents are either in exile, imprisoned, or deceased, as the Kremlin continues its tight control over political life amid the ongoing war.
