Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow’s conditions for ending the war in Ukraine remain unchanged, offering no sign of compromise even as the United States intensifies pressure for a negotiated settlement nearly four years into the conflict.
Opening his annual end-of-year press conference, Putin said Russia was prepared to end the war peacefully – but only on the terms he first laid out in June 2024, including Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions and withdrawing from four regions Moscow claims as Russian territory.
“We have always said this: we are ready and willing to end this conflict peacefully,” Putin said, adding that any settlement must address what he called the “root causes” of the crisis.
While saying he did not see clear readiness from Kyiv to strike a deal, Putin acknowledged “certain signals” that Ukraine might be open to dialogue.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused the Kremlin of using talks as a stalling tactic and insist Russia has shown no genuine interest in peace.
