Putin Blames Zelenskyy for Stalled Ukraine Peace Talks at Year-End Presser

At his year-end press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin placed responsibility for the lack of progress in Ukraine peace talks on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing Kyiv of avoiding dialogue. Putin rejected claims that Russia initiated the war in 2022, instead pointing to what he described as a coup in Ukraine in 2014 as the root cause of the conflict.

He reiterated Moscow’s firm stance on its red lines, stating that Crimea would remain part of Russia, along with continued control over Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Putin also praised former US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts and said Russia was open to negotiations in 2026, while asserting that Kyiv must first stop its resistance.