Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in his annual press conference that there will be no new military operations if the West respects Russia's national interests. He dodged questions on when the Ukraine war will end and highlighted alleged Russian advances on the front. He also demands concessions from NATO and criticizes the freezing of Russian assets.
During his traditional Línea Directa on December 19, 2025, Vladimir Putin addressed the most pressing question for Russians: "When will the war end?". Instead of a timeline, the leader focused on military successes, stating Ukrainian troops are "surrounded" and there is a "Russian push" in all directions. "Krasni Liman will be captured soon and the advance will continue to Slaviansk", he emphasized, noting this city was the starting point of the 2014 offensive.
Putin conditioned peace on the West "observing our national interests as we try to observe theirs". He accused NATO of deceiving Russia with its eastward expansion and demanded it withdraw defenses to the German border, leaving post-1997 members unprotected. On Ukraine, he expressed willingness to guarantee election security if not used to halt the Russian advance, but warned: "If Kiev wants to use the elections to stop the Russian army's advance, it is mistaken".
The Russian leader also threatened to escalate the conflict if Kaliningrado, an enclave separated by Baltic states and Poland, is blockaded. He denied plans to extend the war to Europe, blaming the West: "It is not us fighting the West. It is the West fighting us through Ukrainian nationalists". His demands include a pro-Russian government in Kiev, without NATO protection or a strong army, and ceding parts of Zaporiyia, Kherson, and Donetsk.
Putin rejected responsibility for deaths, attributing them to Kiev and the West's failure to implement the Minsk agreements. On Volodymyr Zelensky, he called him a "talented artist" after a controversial video in Kupiansk. On the economy, he forecasted a 1.6% budget deficit for 2026 and 5.8% inflation, despite tax hikes. He criticized the freezing of 210 billion euros in Russian assets as "plunder".
Russian and Ukrainian delegations will travel to Miami to negotiate with the Trump administration, but Putin insists on eliminating the "root causes of the conflict".
