During his annual live press conference, President of Russia Vladimir Putin answered questions related to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The Kremlin leader once again stated that the city of Kupiansk in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region has come under Russian control, a claim repeatedly denied by Kyiv. Putin said he is confident that the strategic advantage on the battlefield lies with the Russian side. He also noted that in 2025 more than 400,000 citizens signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense, and that hundreds of thousands of servicemen are currently fighting on the battlefield.
Putin stated that Moscow is ready for negotiations, but on the conditions it has put forward. He added that the ball is now in Ukraine’s and Europe’s court. “We have received certain signals that they are ready for some kind of dialogue. Russia wants to end the war,” the Kremlin leader said. According to Putin, Donald Trump is making serious and sincere efforts to resolve the conflict. “We almost agreed on Trump’s proposals in Alaska, so it cannot be said that Moscow is rejecting something,” he added.
Regarding frozen Russian assets in Europe, the Russian president stressed that “they will return what they have stolen.”
