Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday expressed his readiness to engage in talks with United States President-elect, Donald Trump, “at any time” regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
This comes as Trump has claimed he can broker a peace deal within hours of taking office, sparking concerns in Kyiv that Ukraine may be forced to accept unfavorable terms.
During his annual end-of-year press conference, Putin asserted that Russian troops have the upper hand on the battlefield, with his only regret being not initiating the offensive sooner.
However, he was unable to provide a timeline for reclaiming the western Kursk region, which Ukrainian forces infiltrated in August.
Putin’s comments come amid growing tensions and uncertainty surrounding the conflict in Ukraine, as well as Trump’s impending presidency. Despite facing uncomfortable questions, Putin maintained a confident tone, emphasizing Russia’s strength and resilience.
According to AFP, Putin spoke for just under four and a half hours.
Asked about Trump’s overtures regarding a possible peace deal, Putin said he would welcome a meeting with the incoming Republican.
“I don’t know when I’m going to see him. He isn’t saying anything about it. I haven’t talked to him in more than four years. I am ready for it, of course. Any time,” Putin said.
“If we ever have a meeting with President-elect Trump, I am sure we’ll have a lot to talk about,” he said, adding that Russia was ready for “negotiations and compromises”.
Russia’s troops have been advancing in eastern Ukraine for months, with Putin repeatedly touting their prowess on the battlefield.
But asked by a woman from the Kursk region when residents would be able to return to their homes thereafter thousands were evacuated from frontline areas amid the Ukrainian assault, Putin said he could not name a date.
“We will kick them out. Absolutely. It can’t be any other way. But the question of a specific date, I’m sorry, I cannot say right now,” he admitted.
Putin was also pressed on economic headwinds facing Russia — the fallout from a huge ramp-up in military spending and deep labour shortages caused by the conflict.
He insisted that the situation is “stable, despite external threats”, citing low unemployment and industrial growth.
Asked about soaring inflation, Putin said that “inflation is a worrying signal,” and that price rises for foods such as butter and meat are “unpleasant”.
He acknowledged that Western sanctions were also a factor — while not of “key significance” — and said he hoped the central bank, expected to raise interest rates again Friday to cool inflation, would take a “balanced” decision.
Putin appeared to repeat his threat to strike Kyiv with Russia’s new hypersonic ballistic missile, dubbed Oreshnik.
Asked by a military journalist if the weapon had any flaws, Putin suggested a “hi-tech duel” between the West and Russia to test his claims that it is impervious to air defences.
“Let them set some target to be hit, let’s say in Kyiv. They will concentrate there all their air defences. And we will launch an Oreshnik strike there and see what happens,” Putin proposed.
The 72-year-old condemned the killing of a senior Russian army general in Moscow this week in a bomb attack claimed by Kyiv as “terrorism.”
Igor Kirillov was the most senior Russian figure to be killed in an assassination claimed by Kyiv. Russia has arrested the suspected perpetrator.
“Our special services are missing these hits,” the former KGB agent said in a rare criticism of security services, listing other recent killings.
“We must not allow such very serious blunders to happen.”
Asked if he would do anything differently if he could go back to February 2022, when he launched the Ukraine offensive, Putin said he only regretted doing it earlier.
“Knowing what is happening now, I would think that such a decision… should have been taken earlier,” he said.
And Russia “should have started preparing for these events, including the special military operation”, he said, using Moscow’s official term for the conflict.
