Putin was speaking at his annual, end-of-year press conference, taking questions from journalists for a staggering four-and-a-half hours, where topics largely centered on Russia's war in Ukraine, labeled a "special military operation."
Putin said the responsibility for the war lies entirely with the Ukrainian side, reiterating his stance that "root causes" must be addressed to end the war and claiming the launching of Russia's full-scale invasion against Ukraine in February 2022 was in self-defense.
"We do not consider ourselves responsible for the loss of life, because it was not us who started this war," Putin said in response to a question from NBC News.
Putin said he would not be held responsible for rejecting a peace deal put forth by President Trump, saying the responsibility lies with Ukraine.
"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," Putin said.
Putin also claimed that Russia held the military advantage in Ukraine, though an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War said such claims are exaggerated.
Putin criticized Ukraine as being the obstacle to peace negotiations after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly accepted U.S. demands for a ceasefire but has said any decisions on territory occupied by Russia must be part of bilateral negotiations.
"So far we really do not see such readiness," Putin said, referring to Ukraine.
Putin has demanded that the U.S. force Ukraine to relinquish claims to territory Russia seized during its first invasion of Ukraine in 2014, including the Crimea Peninsula and territories in the east of the country, called the Donbas.
Trump has shown increasing frustration with Putin for failing to agree to at least a ceasefire and has imposed some sanctions over the Russian leader's refusals. But the U.S. president has assigned his top envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to draft up a multipoint plan to end the war.
U.S. officials are expected to meet with Russian officials in Miami this weekend to go over the latest draft that was negotiated with the Ukrainians and Europeans last week.
Read the full report at thehill.com.
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