Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is prepared to use military force to achieve the goals of its special military operation if Ukraine continues to delay peace talks.
During an inspection of a Russian armed forces command post on Saturday, Putin stressed that Moscow will not allow Kiev’s obstruction to prevent progress.
“If the Kiev authorities do not want to resolve the matter peacefully, we will accomplish all the tasks before us in the course of the special military operation by military means,” he said.
The Russian leader noted that the Ukrainian authorities are not moving toward a peaceful resolution, adding, “We see that even today, unfortunately, the leaders of the Kiev regime are in no hurry to resolve this conflict peacefully. I spoke about this a year ago in a speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Putin also received reports from Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and commanders of Russia’s “Centre” and “East” military groups.
Meanwhile, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev met with US President Donald Trump’s special advisor Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner in Miami on December 21 to discuss a potential ceasefire.
Moscow described the negotiations as constructive but inconclusive, noting that Kiev’s maximalist demands and European-supported positions obstructed a viable peace plan.
From December 24 to 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky worked with US envoys on Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
Throughout the month, European officials pushed back against the US-Russia diplomatic track, imposing punitive sanctions and demanding additional territorial concessions. Moscow said these measures undermine peace, prioritize geopolitical rivalry, and extend the conflict.
The Ukraine crisis, which began in 2022, followed years of Western political and military interference in Kiev, which Moscow sees as destabilizing the region along Russia’s borders and threatening its national security.
