Russia is ready for negotiations with Zelensky but only if the Ukrainian president wins an election, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
The Russian leader claimed that Zelensky’s government was not the legitimate authority in Ukraine because “its constitution does not allow the extension of the president’s mandate, even under martial law”.
Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May and the Ukrainian government has promised to hold elections immediately after the end of the war.
Putin made the comments while taking questions from the public and the media during a four-hour-long marathon annual news conference and phone-in.
During the session, Putin appeared more enthusiastic about the possibility of talks with Donald Trump, saying he was ready to meet the incoming US president but that no plans had yet been made.
He also said that Russia would need to secure a “long-lasting peace” in Ukraine as a short-term truce would “allow the enemy to resupply”.
Ukraine’s military equipment was being “exhausted”, Putin said, adding that Russian forces were advancing and “the enemy is unable to hold its positions”.
He said a decision on launching the invasion should have been taken earlier than February 2022 and that Moscow should have prepared “systematically” for it.
When asked about changes he had noticed in himself since the invasion of Ukraine, Putin said he joked less and “had almost stopped laughing”.
In May, Putin said that the expiry of Zelensky’s five-year-term would raise a legal obstacle if Russia and Ukraine were to hold peace talks.
“Who to negotiate with? That’s not an idle question… Of course we realise the legitimacy of the incumbent head of state is over,” he said at the time.
03:25 PM GMT
Live coverage has ended.
Our live coverage of the Kremlin’s end-of-year press conference has ended. Here were the key takeaways:
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Putin said Russia needed a “long-lasting peace” in Ukraine, not a temporary truce.
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He said he joked less and “almost stopped laughing” after invading Ukraine.
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Putin said he is willing to enter negotiations with the “legitimate authority” in Ukraine, which he says Zelensky is not as his presidential term ran out earlier this year.
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He said he was ready to meet with Donald Trump, but that no plans were in place yet.
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He argued that Russia was not defeated in Syria, despite the future of Moscow’s presence there being uncertain.
02:00 PM GMT
Mammoth Kremlin press conference ends
The Kremlin’s annual end-of-year phone in and press conference has ended, four and half hours after it started.
Putin took questions from the media and from the public, addressing everything from the war in Ukraine to mortgage applications and telephone scammers.
01:52 PM GMT
‘Russia has moved away from brink of the abyss’
Asked by the BBC whether he had achieved his goals, Putin said he believed that Russia had “moved away from the brink of the abyss”.
The Russian president added that his country was about to lose its sovereignty when he assumed power in 2000.
He said Russia’s economy was leaving the UK’s behind, but that Russia was ready to work with Britain if it is willing to.
01:36 PM GMT
‘We need a long-lasting peace, not a truce’
Putin said Russia needed a “long-lasting peace” in Ukraine and not a temporary truce, as this would “allow the enemy to resupply”.
He said that Russian forces were advancing and that the “enemy is unable to hold its positions”.
“Ukraine is being exhausted of its military equipment,” he added.
Russia is making small but steady gains across the frontline in eastern Ukraine, with data from the Institute for the Study of War last month showing that it had captured almost six times as much territory in 2024 as it did in 2023.
Cars drive past an electronic screen, which shows an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a quote from his annual televised year-end press conference and phone-in. The message reads: “The alliance of Russia and China is the most important factor of stability in world affairs”. – Shamil Zhumatov/REUTERS
01:14 PM GMT
Putin: I joked less and almost stopped laughing after invading Ukraine
Asked what has changed in him since the start of the Ukraine war, Putin said he joked less and “almost stopped laughing”.
The Russian president also said that a decision on launching the invasion should have been taken earlier than February 2022, adding that Moscow should have prepared “systematically” for it.
12:33 PM GMT
‘Main beneficiary of events in Syria is Israel’
Putin has said the main beneficiary of events in Syria is Israel, adding that he hoped the Jewish state would exit the country “at some point”.
Iran had helped its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah fight Israel by sending weapons through Syria while the country was ruled by Bashar al-Assad. Hezbollah has since admitted that this route has been closed after Assad was toppled on December 8.
Israeli troops have also pushed beyond a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights, most of which have been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War.
Putin also said he hoped that there would be no “flare-up” between Turkish and Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, where a ceasefire has been extended to the end of the week.
12:12 PM GMT
Pictured: Putin gestures during annual end-of-year phone in
Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during his annual news conference – Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP
Putin speaks at annual press conference – Anadolu/Anadolu
11:58 AM GMT
Putin: We are ready for talks with Zelensky if he wins an election
Putin said that Russia is ready for negotiations with Zelensky, but only if the Ukrainian president wins an election.
The Russian president said that Zelensky’s government was not the legitimate authority in Ukraine because “its constitution does not allow the extension of the president’s mandate, even under martial law”.
Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May and the Ukrainian government has promised to hold elections immediately after the end of the war.
Putin also reiterated that any talks with Ukraine should be held on the basis of the “reality at the front” and on the abandoned Istanbul talks of March 2022.
11:40 AM GMT
Putin: I won’t waste munitions firing at Ukrainian call centres
Putin said he would not waste munitions firing at Ukrainian call centres as he responded to a question about Russians receiving fraudulent calls from Ukraine.
It was put to Putin that the number of calls decreased after strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and that perhaps targeting call centres could be made a priority of the war.
“No, priority targets for us are military infrastructure and military-industrial complex facilities,” the Russian president said.
He advised Russians to put down the phone if they did not recognise the caller.
Putin attends his annual end-of-year press conference and phone-in, Moscow, Dec 19 – Maxim Shemetov/REUTERS
11:27 AM GMT
Occupied areas of Ukraine will be brought up to Russian standard, Putin says
Putin has pledged to reconstruct occupied Ukrainian territory to “Russian standards”.
“Work is under way on a number of spheres,” he said, mentioning housing, cultural sites and public services.
He also spoke of a “construction boom” in the city of Mariupol, which has been occupied by Russian forces since May 2022.
According to the Russian-installed mayor of Mariupol, thousands of construction workers have been brought in to rebuild the city.
11:19 AM GMT
Pictured: Putin holds annual end-of-year press conference
The Kremlin’s mammoth annual press conference and phone-in is a major TV event in Russia, and is expected to last around four hours.
Putin holds his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow on December 19 – ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP
A person looks on as Putin’s mammoth press conference begins – Maxim Shemetov/REUTERS
11:13 AM GMT
Putin: I am ready to meet Trump
Putin said he was ready to meet Donald Trump, but that there were no plans in place and that he had not spoken to the incoming US president in over four years.
“I am ready to meet him if he wants it,” the Russian president said.
The Kremlin last week praised Mr Trump for criticising Washington’s decision to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied missiles for strikes deep into Russia.
11:12 AM GMT
‘Russia was not defeated in Syria’
Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia was not defeated in Syria, after Moscow-backed former leader Bashar al-Assad was ousted by Islamist-led rebels earlier this month.
The Russian leader said “we have reached our goals in Syria”, but admitted that the future of Moscow’s two remaining bases in the country was uncertain.
Russian forces have evacuated from positions across Syria, but retain control of an air base at Latakia and a naval port in Tartus.
The Kremlin uses these two bases as key staging posts for its activities in Africa and to project power into the Mediterranean Sea.
Putin said that he suggested to “partners” that the bases be used for “humanitarian purposes”, adding that Moscow had relations with “all groups” in Syria.
He also said that Russia had evacuated 4,000 Iranian fighters from Syria, who had been in the country supporting the Assad regime.
He said he has not spoken to former president Assad since he fled to Moscow on December 8, but that he was planning to do it.
The Russian president is currently taking questions from the public and the media during the Kremlin’s marathon annual news conference and phone-in.
10:43 AM GMT
‘Meat prices soaring because Russians eat too much of it’
Vladimir Putin has blamed soaring meat prices on Russians eating too much of it.
Russians eat “significantly” above the global average of meat, Putin claimed as he addressed concerns from the public over rising food prices.
He said consumption of some goods had risen above their supplies and that meat consumption had doubled.
The Russian president is currently taking questions from the public and the media during the Kremlin’s marathon annual news conference and phone-in.
He began by speaking about the Russian economy, and highlighted how growth is higher than in major European countries such as Germany.
Putin however admitted that inflation running at 9.1 per cent was “alarming” and that he was aware Russians are increasingly concerned about spiralling food costs, particularly that of butter which has gone up by a third this year.
Vladimir Putin winks during his annual televised year-end press conference and phone-in held in Moscow – Gavriil Grigorov/REUTERS
10:20 AM GMT
Pictured: Russian soldiers’ banner is unfurled behind Putin
While responding to a question about how the war is going, Putin had two people unfurl a large banner behind him that he says was given to him by a marine brigade fighting in Kursk.
The banner features the insignia of the 155th marine infantry brigade and is emblazoned with the slogan, “where we are, is victory”. Putin said it was signed by the brigade’s soldiers, who he called heroes and wished victory.
A banner is unfurled behind Putin as he holds his end-of-year press conference in Moscow – ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP
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