Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the ball is in Ukraine's and the West's court in the negotiations aimed at ending the war, while praising during his annual press conference the progress made by his forces on the front.
With another winter approaching, Putin assured the Russians over several days that Moscow would forcibly take the rest of Eastern Ukraine's regions if diplomatic efforts failed.
On the occasion of his traditional end-of-year address, which was broadcast live, the 73-year-old Putin stated that "the ball is entirely in the court of our Western adversaries, the leaders of the regime in Kyiv and their mainly European sponsors," affirming that Moscow is ready "to negotiate and end the conflict by peaceful means."
He accused the West of "deception" by continuing to expand the ranks of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), vowing that his country would not attack other countries "if you treat us with respect and consider our interests."
Simultaneously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference in Warsaw with his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrocki stated, "Without Ukraine's independence, our country, Moscow will inevitably head here (Poland) and deeper into Europe."
The Russian military operation in Ukraine began in February 2022 and has become the worst conflict Europe has seen since World War II, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands from both sides, at least.
Broad Western sanctions were imposed on Russia, accompanied by an unprecedented security campaign against the opposition inside the country since the Soviet era.
Putin, who has been organizing end-of-the-year conferences since taking power, said: "Our forces are advancing along the entire front line... and the enemy is retreating in all directions."
During the event, which was broadcast live on giant screens across Russia, he said: "I am convinced that we will see more successes before the end of the year."
Increased security measures
Due to the president's annual conference, stringent security measures were taken around the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow, and movement was restricted at some locations. Dozens of police vehicles were deployed on the streets, according to reporters from Agence France-Presse.
Putin's conference came at a time when the European Union was struggling to help Kyiv avoid implementing a plan pressed by the United States and considered to be a capitulation to Moscow while the Kremlin seeks to exclude Europe from the negotiations.
Putin escalated his tone this week, calling the leaders of the European Union "pigs" and vowing to control the rest of the Ukrainian territories that Russia has announced it will annex "by military means" should the talks fail.
He told officials at the Ministry of Defense, "The goals of the special military operation will definitely be achieved," using the official name given to the operation in Ukraine.
At his conference on Friday, he warned of "severe" consequences if the European Union proceeded with a proposal to use frozen Russian assets in Europe to fund Ukraine's defense.
He added that proceeding with this plan would be an act of "robbery," adding, "But why can't they go ahead with this robbery operation? Because the consequences can be severe for the robbers."
He said, "We do not consider ourselves responsible for the deaths of people; because we did not start this war," assigning responsibility for the conflict to the Ukrainian authorities.
During his conference, Putin receives questions from the press and calls from ordinary people across Russia, which spans 12 different time zones across its vast territories.
The Kremlin indicated that it received about three million questions from citizens.
Brazen threat
Moscow controls vast areas of eastern Ukraine; it demands that Kyiv relinquish more lands as a condition for stopping the war.
Russia has been advancing rapidly on the ground since the summer, especially in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia.
Fierce fighting continues in Ukraine despite the United States intensifying separate talks it conducts with both sides, while Moscow, which is superior on the ground, insists on the necessity of reaching an agreement before a ceasefire.
In November, the Russian army made its most significant advances in Ukraine within a year, according to analyses by Agence France-Presse, based on data from the Institute for the Study of War in Washington.
Recently, US President Donald Trump suggested that Russia is in a stronger negotiating position, hinting that Kyiv should give up territories.
Europeans are wary of Trump's potential to push for a rushed agreement that would hand over much territory to Moscow.
During a visit to Cairo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced on Friday a European proposal to form a multinational force to oversee any potential peace agreement in Ukraine, considering it a "brazen" threat to Russia.
The Russian president considered at his conference that the recent progress made in Ukraine would push Kyiv to reach an agreement.
Washington and Moscow are pressing the Ukrainian president to organize presidential elections, Putin said, adding that Russia might stop its strikes in the depths of Ukraine on the day they are held.
Reassurance
Putin also sought during his conference to reassure about the slowdown of the Russian economy, which has been focused mainly on the defense industries for about four years.
He confirmed that the Russian economy is stable, comparing that with the slow growth in Europe.
Russia has been under severe sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine, continued inflation, and its economy is on the verge of recession with growth barely exceeding zero.
Criticizing the military operation in Russia is banned, and Moscow has imposed hefty fines or prison sentences on its critics.
All of Putin's opponents are either in exile, in prison, or have passed away.
During his press conference, journalist Kirill Baganov proposed to his girlfriend, who was watching him on TV, and she accepted the marriage proposal.
He attended the conference holding a sign that read "I want to get married" and proposed to his girlfriend live on air.
Putin did not respond to the journalist's invitation for him to attend the wedding nor to his question about the cost of living in Russia.
He simply said, "Kirill asked a question about the material living conditions for young families. True, it is the man who should bring money to the family, so we will gather the money to obtain a sufficient amount for the wedding."
