Putin says ‘ball is in West’s court’ to end Ukraine war, denies dragging negotiations

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the “ball” to end the war in Ukraine was in the West’s and Kyiv’s court, denying that Moscow was dragging out negotiations and turning down proposals on the almost four-year conflict.

“The ball is entirely and fully on the court of the head of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors,” Putin said during his end-of-year press conference, adding that Moscow had accepted some “compromises” in a US-proposed deal.

Speaking at his tightly orchestrated annual news conference, Putin declared that Russian forces have “fully seized strategic initiative” and would make more gains by the year’s end.

In the early days of the conflict in 2022, Ukraine’s forces managed to thwart an attempt by Russia’s larger, better-equipped army, to capture the capital of Kyiv. But the fighting soon settled into grinding battles, and Moscow’s troops have made slow but steady progress over the years. Putin frequently touts this progress — even though it is not the lightning advance many expected.

“Our troops are advancing all across the line of contact, faster in some areas or slower in some others, but the enemy is retreating in all sectors,” Putin said at the live news conference, which is combined with a nationwide call-in show that offers Russians across the country the opportunity to ask questions of their leader.

Russia did not start war, says Putin amid rising casualties in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he was not taking any responsibility for deaths in the Ukraine war, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands on both sides.

“We do not consider ourselves responsible for the loss of life. We did not start this war,” Putin said during his annual press conference in Moscow, repeating his frequent narrative that Ukraine and the West are to blame for the conflict that started with Russia’s assault in February 2022.

Russian demands remain unchanged

Putin reaffirmed that Moscow was ready for a peaceful settlement that would address the “root causes” of the conflict, a reference to the Kremlin’s tough conditions for a deal.

Earlier this week, Putin warned that Moscow would seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands.

The Russian leader wants all the areas in four key regions captured by his forces, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, illegally annexed in 2014, to be recognized as Russian territory. He has also insisted that Ukraine withdraw from some areas in eastern Ukraine that Moscow’s forces haven’t captured yet. Kyiv has publicly rejected all these demands.

The Kremlin has also insisted that Ukraine abandon its bid to join the Western NATO military alliance and warned that it wouldn’t accept the deployment of any troops from NATO members and would view them as “legitimate target.”

Putin also has repeatedly said that Ukraine must limit the size of its army and give official status to the Russian language — demands he has made from the onset of the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed readiness to drop Ukraine’s bid to join NATO if the U.S. and other Western nations give Kyiv security guarantees similar to those offered to alliance members. But at the same time, he has emphasized that Ukraine’s preference remains NATO membership as the best security guarantee.

″The United States don’t see us in NATO, for now," Zelenskyy said this week. “Politicians change.”

With inputs from agencies