Putin claims no "willingness from Ukraine" to negotiate a peace deal as he touts battlefield gains, and Kyiv claims a brazen strike on a ship far from Russia.

Putin said at an annual meeting with top military officers that Moscow will move to expand a “buffer security zone” along the border.

Follow live updates from NBC News as Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at his annual year-end news conference on Ukraine, peace, war and Trump.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine persists, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his nation's "troops are advancing," The Associated Press reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Moscow’s troops are advancing across the battlefield in Ukraine, voicing confidence that the Kremlin’s military goals will be achieved

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual marathon press conference is perhaps best summarized as a mashup of a municipal board meeting and geopolitical talkfest.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow won't attack other nations if its treated "with respect" and claimed he is "ready and willing" to end the Ukraine war "peacefully."

The anxiety comes as Russia's inflation remains high, and the country's massive defense spending jostles with social spending.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the Kremlin is prepared to use “military means” to achieve its goals in Ukraine if diplomatic efforts with the West fail to satisfy Moscow’s

Vladimir Putin has used a new year‑end speech to cast 2026 as a turning point for Russia’s internal “unity” and economic modernisation, tying a patriotic decree to sweeping warnings about the disruptive power of artificial intelligence on jobs and education.