Russia does not currently see Ukraine as ready to discuss the territorial issue, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his major annual press conference reviewing Russia’s actions in 2025.
As he noted, the war in Ukraine began after the coup in Kyiv, while he stressed that Russia is ready to end military operations provided that the conditions he set out in the summer of 2024 are implemented.
Until then, he said, the Russian army, which has the initiative along the entire front line, will continue its operations, while he predicted new victories for Russia by the end of 2025.
Referring to frozen Russian funds and the scenario of their seizure, the Russian president said this is not theft but robbery, warning that such robbery could have fundamental consequences for the financial system and could undermine confidence in the Eurozone.
In this context, he dropped what he described as a bombshell, saying that under these conditions Europe may in the future attempt to seize the assets of Muslim countries because of their laws protecting traditional values.
We want an end to the war
However, he stressed that Kyiv is in effect refusing to end the conflict through peaceful means, noting that Russia is ready and wants to conclude the conflict in Ukraine provided the causes of the crisis are eliminated and the positions he outlined in the summer of 2024 at Russia’s Foreign Ministry are taken into account. At that time, he had set as a condition for a ceasefire the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia.
“And we have always said this: we are ready and we want to end this conflict by peaceful means, based on the principles I presented in June last year at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and by eliminating the causes that led to this crisis,” the Russian leader said.
“Russia at this moment sees no readiness from Kyiv to discuss the issue of territories.
At present, we truly do not see such readiness,” Putin said, commenting on Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement in Berlin that Ukraine is not ready to discuss the territorial issue.
Everything began with the 2014 coup
Putin recalled that everything began with the coup in Ukraine in 2014 and with deception regarding the possibility of resolving all problems peacefully through the Minsk Agreements.
“In 2022, when we reached the limit, when the Kyiv regime launched war in southeastern Ukraine, we simply told them: listen, we will be forced to recognize these unrecognized republics, and it would be better if you simply let people live calmly as they want, without your coups, without Russophobia and so on, just withdraw your troops and everything will end.
But even then they did not want that,” the Russian president explained, stressing that Kyiv initially agreed with the results of the negotiations in Istanbul in 2022 and almost signed them.
“And then they refused, threw all those agreements in the trash. And now, in essence, they refuse to end this conflict by peaceful means,” Putin concluded.
We have the initiative along the entire front
Referring to the latest developments on the battlefield, Putin said that fighting continues in Konstantinovka, with more than 50% of the city already under Russian control. He claimed that the Russian army controls more than 50% of Hulyaipole and noted that Krasny Lyman will be liberated as soon as possible.
In addition, he said that after the liberation of Seversk, the road to Slovyansk opens, while he argued that the Russian army holds the strategic initiative along the entire front line.
At this point, he said that Ukrainians are unsuccessfully trying to retake part of Pokrovsk, noted that Russian armed forces are creating security zones in the Sumy direction, and claimed that the city of Dimitrov (Myrnohrad) is fully encircled.
“The city of Dimitrov, an important settlement, an important hub, is fully encircled.
Our troops, I believe, have currently taken control of 50% of the city,” Putin said.
No hope in Kupyansk
He made special reference to the fighting in Kupyansk, where, as he said, a group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces consisting of 15 battalions is encircled in the Kupyansk area and has received no order to surrender its weapons, with no chance of success.
“The group encircled at this point is significant. It consists of 15 battalions, as I have already mentioned, with 3,500 military personnel.
They have not received an order to lay down their arms.
The chances are almost zero.
They are in a tight encirclement by our forces,” Putin said, stressing that the sky over Kupyansk is full of drones and no one can approach.
New victories by the end of 2025
Putin expressed confidence that by the end of the year the Russian army will achieve new victories along the front line.
“I am confident that by the end of the current year we will witness new successes of our armed forces, of our soldiers on the battlefield,” Putin said.
We are constantly gaining territory in Zaporizhia
The Russian force group “Vostok” is liberating one populated area after another in the Zaporizhia region, advancing at a rapid pace, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
“Our group, the Vostok group, is advancing at a fast pace in the Zaporizhia region and is liberating one populated area after another.
Now the fighting continues in the city of Hulyaipole,” the head of state noted.
“The city is divided by a river into two parts, with the main part located on the right bank of the river.
Our boys crossed the river, overcame this water obstacle, entered the city, and 50% of the city is under our control.
However, not the entire group is focused on fighting for this city. A significant part of the group continues its advance from east to west.”
We dominate in drones
He also claimed that the Russian army outmatches the Ukrainian armed forces in drones across all sections of the front, stressing that “the flow of volunteers for drone operator positions in the military operation is so large that the Ministry of Defense is forced to hold competitions.”
He also noted that Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov “is personally dealing with the issue of drones, and thanks to him the situation with UAVs at the front has changed significantly.”
More than 400,000 Russians signed contracts with the army in 2025
In addition, he said that more than 400,000 Russians signed contracts with the Russian army in 2025, while noting that “hundreds of thousands of Russian servicemen are participating in the special military operation.”
“We have hundreds of thousands of boys fighting there,” Putin said, stressing that not all of them are willing to pursue a political career after the special operation. “Not at all.
But those who want to, who have potential, education, experience or are ready to acquire it, the state must do everything to provide such opportunities to people who have proven that they are ready to fight for the interests of the homeland, without sparing themselves,” the Russian president stressed.
It is not theft, it is robbery
Regarding the issue of Russian assets frozen in Europe, the Russian president said that attempts to seize them in Europe are not theft, but robbery.
“Theft is an inappropriate concept.
Theft is the secret taking of property.
Here they are trying to do it openly.
This is robbery,” the Russian president said.
“It is not easy to seize Russian assets abroad,” Putin said, warning that “the robbery of Russian assets in the EU may have fundamental consequences for the financial system.”
“Russia will protect its interests regarding assets, primarily through the courts.
Some countries are already beginning to doubt the safety of assets in Europe,” Putin stressed, noting that “granting loans to Ukraine backed by Russian assets will lead to an increase in the liabilities of EU countries, which already face fiscal problems.”
“The seizure of Russian assets will be not only a blow to the image, but also a blow to confidence in the Eurozone,” the Russian president said, stressing that at some point, what is stolen will have to be returned.
A bombshell for Muslims
Putin also expressed the view that Europe may in the future attempt to seize the assets of Muslim countries because of their laws protecting traditional values.
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