Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed readiness for discussions with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, stating he is prepared to meet “any time” while acknowledging regret over not launching Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine earlier.
Speaking during his annual press conference, Putin defended his military campaign in Ukraine but admitted uncertainty over regaining Russian-held territories lost to Kyiv.
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“If we ever have a meeting with President-elect Trump, I am sure we’ll have a lot to talk about,” Putin said, emphasizing Russia’s openness to “negotiations and compromises,” the 72-year-old leader said, per Reuters. Putin spoke in a confident tone but was forced to admit he did not know when Russia would take back the parts of Russia’s Kursk region held by Kyiv since August.
The traditional annual question-and-answer sessions are largely a televised show while also being a rare setting in which Putin is put on the spot with some uncomfortable questions. Putin spoke for just under four and a half hours.
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The statement comes as Kyiv reported three deaths from Russian attacks in northeastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with EU leaders in Brussels. Trump, who will return to the White House in January, has called for negotiations to begin, stoking fears in Kyiv that he could force Ukraine to accept peace on terms favorable to Moscow.
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.”
Kursk conundrum
While touting Russia’s battlefield advances, Putin faced questions about when displaced residents from the Kursk region could return home. Thousands were evacuated after Ukrainian forces captured parts of the region in August. “We will absolutely kick them out. But the question of a specific date, I’m sorry, I cannot say right now,” he said.
Putin also addressed the economic fallout of the war, defending the Kremlin’s response to sanctions and rising inflation. Price hikes on staples like butter and meat were “unpleasant,” he conceded, but insisted the situation remains “stable, despite external threats.”
Hypersonic threats and security failures
Putin hinted at deploying more of Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missiles, proposing a “hi-tech duel” with the West. “Let them set some target to be hit, let’s say in Kyiv,” he said. “And we will launch an Oreshnik strike there and see what happens.”
Zelensky swiftly rebuffed the remarks trivializing human suffering, saying: “People are dying and he thinks it’s ‘interesting’... Dumbass.”
The Russian leader also condemned Kyiv for the assassination of a senior Russian general in Moscow, describing it as “terrorism.” In a rare critique of his security forces, Putin admitted: “Our special services are missing these hits.”
Regrets over delayed offensive
Reflecting on the war’s onset, Putin said he regretted not initiating the invasion sooner. “Knowing what is happening now, I would think that such a decision… should have been taken earlier,” he said.
Putin defended Russia’s involvement in Syria as a success, dismissing claims of defeat following the fall of ex-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “We came to Syria so that a terrorist enclave would not be created there like in Afghanistan. On the whole, we have achieved our goal,” he said.
The Kremlin leader’s remarks underline his confidence in Russia’s military strategy, even as challenges mount at home and on the battlefield.
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