Putin signals no rush to end Ukraine war in marathon TV appearance

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared in no hurry to seek an end to the war in Ukraine during his annual set-piece television event Thursday, seeking instead to project Russia’s strength despite President-elect Donald Trump’s stated goal of achieving a quick peace. The carefully choreographed question-and-answer session saw Putin field queries from chosen media sources and ordinary Russian citizens, during which he repeatedly portrayed Russia as resistant to the effects of the conflict, which is now nearing the three-year mark.

With a month to go before Trump returns to the White House, Putin showed little sign of concern despite considerable pressures bearing down on the Kremlin, both on the front line in Ukraine and beyond. While Russia is slowly advancing, November was the deadliest month yet for Russian troops in Ukraine, according to Western assessments. Moscow also recently witnessed the unraveling of the Assad regime, its ally in Syria, which has diminished its influence in the Middle East and is also grappling with a slowing economy and runaway inflation.

“Our soldiers are gaining territory every day. We are moving forward," Putin said. Trump has long said that he wants to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine but has given few details in public about how he plans to achieve it.

Any attempt at brokering peace faces significant obstacles, with analysts saying that Putin believes he is winning the war regardless of Russia’s slow and costly gains. Putin said he was prepared to speak to or meet Trump at any time but said that he wasn’t aware of any plans for a meeting, adding that they haven’t spoken in four years. Putin said that Russia was always prepared for negotiations