The Russian leader was holding his marathon year-end news conference Friday, as the Kremlin sticks to its hardline demands despite U.S. pressure for a peace deal by Christmas.
Vladimir Putin has concluded his marathon year-end news conference, which started only 10 minutes later than scheduled and lasted 4 hours 27 minutes, matching the length of last year’s event.
According to Russian media, Putin answered a total of 83 questions.
The dominant topic was Russia’s war in Ukraine, with the president reiterating familiar talking points and updates on military developments that projected positivity to his domestic audience.
There was also a range of offbeat questions from ordinary citizens, who seized the chance to ask the Russian leader unexpected questions about books, aliens and the occult.
In one moment, a student journalist proposed to his girlfriend, who was watching on TV, before posing a question to Putin.
Turning to domestic issues, Putin argues that having children should become “fashionable” in Russia. He appeals directly to journalists and cultural figures, urging them to shape public discussion in ways that promote family life. While acknowledging the importance of material support, Putin says “the state of the soul” matters just as much.
He describes a familiar pattern among young Russians, particularly women — prioritizing education and early career steps, having a first child around age 30, and lacking the energy for a second.
Making parenthood aspirational, he says, is essential so people understand “the happiness of motherhood and fatherhood.”
The Kremlin has been making efforts to combat the demographic strain of falling birth rates, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, which authorities say could threaten the country’s long-term outlook.
Putin said he would like to see next year unfold “in peace and without any military conflicts,” stressing that Russia aims to resolve all disputed issues through negotiations.
Yet he again emphasized the need to address what he calls the “root causes” of the conflict, suggesting little shift away from the Kremlin’s hardline demands.
Those include major territorial concessions from Ukraine over land in its east and a cap on the size of Ukraine’s military.
As the Russian leader speaks, new photos of the aftermath of a Russian drone attack show a fire damaged vehicle and a petrol station set ablaze in Druzhkivka in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine.
Police officers scan the sky for a Russian FPV drone that can be heard flying overhead, in Druzhkivka. Diego Herrera Carcedo / Anadolu via Getty Images
A policeman runs from the scene after a Russian FPV drone crashes into a vehicle in Druzhkivka. Diego Herrera Carcedo / Anadolu via Getty Images
Emergency service workers arrive at a petrol station on fire after a russian attack with an FPV drone in Druzhkivka. Diego Herrera Carcedo / Anadolu via Getty Images
My question to President Putin elicited an angry response, but it also illuminated the Russian leader’s negotiating strategy.
Suggesting he might reject President Trump’s peace deal was “inappropriate,” he told me. Putin is determined not to be accused of blocking Trump’s push for peace but he is equally intent on not agreeing to any deal that does not meet his demands.
“We do not consider ourselves responsible for the loss of life, because it was not us who started this war,” he told me. This is something he truly believes, blaming the war on NATO and Ukraine’s pro-Western color revolution.
But he also said repeatedly that he does believe he is “making compromises.”
Vladimir Putin has told NBC News’ Keir Simmons that “the ball is entirely in the court” of Ukraine and the West in peace talks as he praised President Trump’s “serious” and “sincere” efforts to end the war.
Putin was asked whether, given Kyiv has agreed to enormous compromises, he would be responsible for the deaths of Russians and Ukrainians next year if there is no deal.
The Russian leader said no. “We do not consider ourselves responsible for the loss of life, because it was not us who started this war,” he said in response to NBC News during his news conference.
“At the meeting with President Trump in Anchorage, we coordinated our positions and almost agreed with President Trump’s proposals,” Putin said, referring to the duo’s summit in Alaska.
“Therefore, to say that we are rejecting anything is absolutely incorrect and has no basis whatsoever. At the preliminary meetings in Moscow, proposals were made to us and we were asked to agree to certain compromises. When I arrived in Anchorage, I said that these would not be easy decisions for us, but that we agree to the compromises being proposed. Therefore, to claim that we are rejecting something is completely incorrect and has no grounds,” Putin said.
He added: “The issue lies entirely on the other side, the ball is entirely in the court of our so-called Western adversaries, first and foremost the leaders of the Kyiv regime and, in this case especially, their European sponsors. We are ready for negotiations and to settle the conflict by peaceful means.”
Several of the questions raised during Putin’s event come via prerecorded video messages, many focused on problems faced by Russian soldiers and their families.
One describes a wounded serviceman whose contract payments have not been fully delivered. Another comes from the mother of a fallen soldier who says she struggled to receive her son’s medal for heroism.
From Novosibirsk, a widow of a soldier killed in 2024 appears in a video message, saying she is left raising two young children, ages 6 and 4, and has not received a survivor’s pension. Putin responds that her case is now “under control,” offering a personal apology and asking her forgiveness for the delay. He says the issue will be resolved quickly, while acknowledging broader systemic problems in caring for families of fallen soldiers.
Putin points to excessive bureaucracy and coordination failures between social services and the Ministry of Defense, saying those gaps must be fixed. He also addresses questions about soldiers listed as missing in action and delays in payments and benefits for participants in what Moscow calls its “special military operation,” ordering officials to resolve outstanding cases.
Other questions range widely, from shortages of drones on the front lines to the rise of telephone scams across Russia.
At one point, a 13-year-old asks the president how to know what information is accurate and trustworthy.
Putin replies that some of the most reliable information he receives comes directly from events like this one, pointing again to the millions of questions submitted through the annual “Direct Line.”
Throughout the session, Putin presents himself as personally intervening to resolve individual cases, while conceding persistent structural problems in the system.
The Russian president criticized shelved plans by leaders of the European Union to seize frozen Russian assets, describing the move as “robbery.”
Putin on stage at the conference in Moscow today. Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images
Overnight, E.U. leaders agreed to provide a massive interest-free loan to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years. But they dropped the plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s war effort, a proposal that had fueled internal divisions and drawn strong pushback from the Kremlin.
Putin said that this plan was unsuccessful because of its future implications on European countries.
“But why can’t this robbery be carried out? Because the consequences for the robbers can be severe,” he said, adding that other countries holding reserves in the European Union already have “suspicions, doubts and concerns.”
Putin said Russia would challenge any seizure in court, adding that assets taken in this way would ultimately have to be returned.
The Russian leader struck a tone of economic optimism during his remarks, seeking to project confidence despite ongoing challenges fueled by Western sanctions and the effects of his war in Ukraine.
Responding to a Russian journalist’s question that highlighted the impact of Western sanctions and tough economic conditions in Russia, Putin acknowledged that sanctions caused some “difficulties” for the country, but said that Russia was still able to complete projects in the manufacturing industry.
The Russian president also expressed hope about the return of “talented” Russian scientists and young specialists, saying they were coming back to Russia from abroad because of what he described as “better opportunities.”
As Russia has pushed to make gains in its war effort, the city of Kupyansk in Kharkiv Oblast has emerged as one sticking point.
Putin said this morning that Russian troops control the city but are not yet moving further West. Russia first claimed on November 20 that it had taken control of the city, which Ukraine denied.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy records a video at the entrance of a road in Kupyansk, Ukraine, last week. Press Service of the President of Ukraine / via AP
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Kupyansk last week, with his office releasing a video showing the Ukrainian flag flying there. “The Russians kept going on about Kupyansk — the reality speaks for itself,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Friday.
Putin said that the video could be fake, without providing any evidence to support his claim. The Ukrainian president is “an artist, and a talented one at that,” he said, adding that the monument where the video was recorded was only at the city limits. “Why stand there on the doorstep? Come inside!,” he taunted.
As Putin delivered a detailed summary of what he describes as Russia’s successful offensive in Ukraine, two large screens inside the hall scrolled a steady stream of questions from across the country, reportedly around three million submissions from the Russian public.
Roughly 700 journalists are inside the hall. Some wear national or regional costumes — part tradition, part strategy to stand out in the packed room.
Putin during his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow today. Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images
The questions on the screens span everyday grievances and big-picture ambitions: complaints about garbage collection and rats in provincial towns, queries about pensions, taxes and boosting Russia’s birth rate, questions about flying to Mars and blocked messaging apps. They also cover broader political issues, including whether agreements with the West are possible if, as one question puts it, “the West is not agreeable.”
Organizers say all issues raised during the event will be reviewed and addressed.
To compete for attention, journalists have brought small posters, a familiar feature of Putin’s annual marathon event.
One sign held by a young reporter reads, “I want to get married.” Others are pointedly political or deliberately provocative, all aimed at catching the president’s eye for a chance to ask a question.
The Russian leader has begun his annual year-end news conference, opening with a run through familiar talking points on Ukraine.
Putin takes to stage at the annual conference in Moscow today. Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images
He briefly touched on the prospect of peace talks, reiterating that Russia is ready to “end this conflict via peaceful means.” He reiterated baseless claims about how the war began and said he did not think Ukraine was ready to agree to a deal.
He then moved on to claims that Russian forces are advancing along the front lines, which Ukraine denies, and providing updates on the military situation.
Trump’s Christmas deadline for a peace deal with Ukraine is looking increasingly unlikely.
His Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin made it clear the war will grind on unless his demands are met in the ceasefire negotiations.
Russia will “undoubtedly” reach its war goals, he said at his annual meeting with top military officers on Wednesday, where he also referred to European leaders as pigs, or swine.
Moscow would prefer to achieve its goals and “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” by diplomatic means, he said. But he made it clear that “Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means.” if diplomacy fails.
Russia’s red lines, according to officials in Moscow, include exactly the sort of security guarantees for Ukraine that the U.S. and Europe have been discussing in recent weeks.
Putin’s year-end news conference is set for 4 a.m., although it has frequently run behind schedule in previous years.
The conference and the Kremlin’s ‘Direct Line’ call-in show are being held together this year, meaning that in addition to taking questions from journalists, the Russian president will also answer questions from members of the public.
As of now, over 2 million questions have been submitted from Russian citizens. They usually cover subjects ranging from damaged roads to burst pipes, although he’ll no doubt speak about the war in Ukraine and Trump’s efforts to secure a peace deal, too.
Long before Putin takes the stage for his annual end-of-year news conference, the waiting begins outside.
Hundreds of journalists from across Russia and around the world line up for security checks to enter Gostiny Dvor, a vast exhibition complex just steps from the Kremlin and Red Square. Organizers say more than 700 media representatives are expected inside, adding to the long, slow-moving line outside.
A billboard in Moscow promotes Russian President Putin's annual year-end televised phone-in and press conference. Ramil Sitdikov / Reuters
The process is deliberate. The line moves at a crawl along Varvarka Street, one of Moscow’s oldest thoroughfares.
On one side of the narrow street, small historic Russian churches rise close to the pavement, their golden domes catching the winter light. Church bells ring, their sound cutting through the low murmur of the crowd. Christmas lights glow above, strung along the streetlamps, incongruous against the heavy security presence that dominates the scene.
Patience is a necessity here.
Multiple layers of screening await every credentialed reporter, camera operator and producer before entry is granted. It’s a familiar ritual for those who have covered the Kremlin for years.
As always, the line itself offers a preview of what will unfold inside. Some journalists dress extravagantly, a longstanding tradition at this news conference, hoping to stand out in the packed hall and catch the president’s eye for a chance to ask a question.
Among them, a young reporter from a local television station in Nizhny Novgorod stands out unmistakably, wearing a traditional Russian headpiece paired with a bright red pantsuit.
Inside Gostiny Dvor, the questions will soon begin. Outside, on Varvarka Street, the waiting continues.
Speaking at an annual meeting with top military officers on Wednesday, the Russian leader appeared in little mood to make concessions to help secure a peace deal.
“Everyone thought that in a short amount of time they could destroy Russia,” Putin said. “And the European swine immediately joined the work of the previous American administration in the hope of profiting from the collapse of our country.”
While the Trump administration has demonstrated readiness for a peaceful resolution, he said it was “unlikely that this will be possible with the current political elites” in Europe.
Putin’s end-of-year televised news conferences are notorious for their length, with the broadcast carrying a ticker noting how long he has been speaking.
In 2024, the event lasted 4 hours and 31 minutes as Putin brushed off concerns about the Russian economy and claimed that Russia was poised to make gains in Ukraine.
He fielded questions from journalists and the public on everything from Russia’s slow internet speeds to the fall of Russian ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
The 2024 event was one of his longest ever press conferences, although it did not quite surpass his all-time record, set in 2013 when he spoke for 4 hours and 47 minutes.
NBC News