Putin tells his annual news conference that the Kremlin's military goals will be achieved in Ukraine

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized Friday that Moscow’s troops were advancing across the battlefield in Ukraine and voiced confidence that the Kremlin would achieve its goals militarily if Kyiv fails to agree to Russia's conditions in peace talks.

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.

Putin, who has ruled the country for 25 years, has used the event to cement his power and air his views on domestic and global affairs.

This year, observers are watching particularly for Putin’s remarks on Ukraine and the peace plan put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite an extensive diplomatic push, Washington's efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.

While the event often focuses heavily on domestic questions, Ukraine has dominated so far this year. Since the event is highly choreographed, that could reflect the Kremlin’s desire to assuage the public after nearly four years of fighting.

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.”

As it faces grinding Russian advances across the front line and relentless attacks on its energy facilities, Ukraine is in on the verge of bankruptcy — and it desperately needs more cash from its Western allies.

On Friday, European Union leaders agreed to provide a massive interest-free loan, but they failed to bridge differences with Belgium that would have allowed them to use frozen Russian assets to raise the funds.

The leaders worked deep into night to reassure Belgium, where most of the frozen assets are held, that they would protect it from any retaliation from Moscow if it backed the plan, but as the talks bogged down the leaders eventually opted to borrow the money on capital markets.

Putin commented that using the Russian assets to help Kyiv would have amounted to “robbery,” adding that the move would have spooked investors, “dealing not only an image blow but undermining confidence in the eurozone.”

Putin told the audience that the flow of volunteer soldiers has remained strong, topping 400,000 this year. It was not possible to verify that claim since recruitment effort isn't open to independent scrutiny.

But the government offers relatively high pay and extensive benefits to volunteer soldiers that have helped swell their ranks. The Kremlin says that it exclusively relies on volunteers to fight in Ukraine, but some media reports and rights groups have said that military officers often coerce conscripts into signing military contracts.

Asked by a soldier’s widow about the slowness in paying out a pension, Putin apologized and vowed that the issue would be quickly solved — an exchange typical of the annual event, which the Russian leader often uses to show his command of a wide array of subjects and his ability to solve problems.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, background center, speaks during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to attend his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, speaks during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks at the annual board meeting of the country's Defense Ministry in Moscow, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Two familiar sounds were missing during the Buffalo Sabres’ first game under general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.

There was no hint of former GM Kevyn Adams pounding at the table in the Sabres’ executive suite next to the press box each time the team made a mistake. And there were no chants of “Fire Adams!” coming from the stands.

There were instead cheers following a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night, in an outing the Sabres began showing the character — and some of the consistency — Kekalainen placed an emphasis on in taking over after Adams was fired on Monday.

In extending their winning streak to a season-high four games, the Sabres overcame a slow start in which they were out-shot 12-4 in the opening period, and a 2-1 second-period deficit. Most importantly, they clamped down on defense by killing off a delay of game penalty in the final two-plus minutes, before Ryan McLeod sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.

“Obviously, one game doesn’t mean anything,” said Tage Thompson, who scored to extend his goals streak to five games. “But we’ve started to string some games together where we’re playing the right way. And we’re feeling confident knowing that we’re going to be able to close out games.”

This is the type of shot-blocking, don’t-let-down character Kekalainen said he was looking for in his opening news conference Tuesday. The problem, he said in having spent the past six-plus months watching the Sabres as a senior adviser, wasn’t the team’s talent, but it’s effort and consistency in too often getting out-worked.

Thursday’s outing represented but a start, because the Sabres still have much to do if they intend to climb back into contention and avoid extending their NHL-record playoff drought to a 15th season.

Improving to 15-14-4, Buffalo moved into 15th place in the 16-team Eastern Conference standings. But they’re only five points behind eighth-place Tampa Bay.

“Nothing really changes and nothing should change,” said goalie Alex Lyon, who stopped 24 shots and has accounted for all four wins in Buffalo’s run.

“I think it’s obviously been well documented that at times we get a little bit high and we get a little low,” he added. “It doesn’t matter what the score is. It doesn’t matter what your record is. You have to try to put the same product out there in practice, in games, all the time.”

Lyon’s was a message coach Lindy Ruff re-emphasized following his 915th career win, which moved him into fourth place on the NHL list.

“We need really to worry about one game: Saturday,” he said, looking only ahead to Buffalo’s next outing, a home game against the New York Islanders.

For all his wins, including 622 in what is now his second stint in Buffalo, Ruff has plenty at stake now working under a new GM and in the final year of his contract.

“I’m focused on finishing the job. I’m disappointed,” he said a day earlier in reference to the front-office shakeup.

“But we’ve got ourselves in position where we can really push ahead,” Ruff added, noting his roster was filling out with center Josh Norris and defenseman Michael Kesserling returning from injuries. “The getting healthier part is the part that excites me. We get to see the team we envisioned it to be.”

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Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (34) slides across the crease to make a save during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Buffalo Sabres center Noah Ostlund (86) and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) get separated by linesman Matt MacPherson (83) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Buffalo Sabres new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen addresses the media during an NHL hockey news conference Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/John Wawrow)

Buffalo Sabres center Ryan McLeod, left, celebrates his empty net goal with defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (23) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)