Russian President Vladimir Putin noted on Friday that the country’s “troops are advancing” and expressed confidence that Russia will achieve its goals through military means if Ukraine does not agree to Russian terms during peace talks, according to The Associated Press.
“Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact, faster in some areas or slower in others, but the enemy is retreating in all sectors,” Putin said at his annual press conference, the newspaper said.
As the war rages on, the European Union has just agreed to provide Ukraine with a loan of more than $105 billion.
Putin mocks European leaders as he insists Russia’s war aims in Ukraine will be achieved through force or diplomacy
In this swimming pool photo distributed by state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow on December 19, 2025. (Vyacheslav PROKOFYEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his gratitude.
“I am grateful to all leaders of the European Union for the European Council’s decision on EUR 90 billion in financial support to Ukraine in the period 2026-2027. This is significant support that truly strengthens our resilience. It is important that Russian assets remain immobilized and that Ukraine has received a financial security guarantee for the coming years. Thank you for the result and for unity. Together we will defend the future of our continent,” he said in a speech. message on X.
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Putin has claimed that Russia will achieve its goals one way or another.
“The objectives of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved. We would prefer to achieve this and address the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic means,” he said, according to an release from the Kremlin about a meeting of the Ministry of Defense earlier this week.
“However, if the opposing side and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historic territories by military means,” Putin stated.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a press conference with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, not pictured, on December 15, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. (Florian Gaertner/Photothek via Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to end the war between the two nations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
