Putin says Russia ready to end Ukraine war if territorial demands met

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he was determined to continue the war in Ukraine until his conditions are met, which include taking Ukrainian territory, during his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow.

The conference, broadcast live on television, lasted over four and a half hours and included 80 questions from Russian federal, regional, and foreign media.

Putin said Russia is "ready to end the conflict peacefully" if Ukraine cedes large areas of its eastern territories. He also stated that Russia has demanded Ukraine give up its bid to join NATO. Putin added that if NATO members sent troops to Ukraine, Russia would view them as "legitimate targets."

"The strategic initiative is completely in the hands of the Russian forces," Putin said, touting Russia's recent gains in the region. He stated that Russian forces "advance on the entire line of contact" and that Ukrainians "retreat in all directions." Putin said he was confident that "before the end of this year, we will witness further new successes."

When asked by NBC News journalist Keir Simmons about a peace deal proposed by President Trump, Putin said he would not bear responsibility for deaths of Ukrainians in 2026 if Russia rejected such a plan. Putin repeated his claim that "the war began after a coup in Ukraine, an unconstitutional armed coup in 2014, followed by the start of hostilities by the leaders of the Kyiv regime against their own citizens in southeastern Ukraine." He stated: "We do not consider ourselves responsible for the deaths of people, because we did not start this war."

When responding to a BBC journalist, Putin said "there will be no new special operations if Russia is treated with respect." He claimed that "the West created with its own hands the current conflict in Ukraine and continued to aggravate the situation." Putin rejected as "absurd" assertions that Russia could attack Europe, arguing that the West is creating "an image of an enemy" of Russia to cover its own errors.

Putin stated that "the ball is entirely in the court of our Western opponents" regarding peace negotiations. He said responsibility for ending hostilities rests with Ukraine and its European allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine will not give up its land, which is set by the country's constitution.