Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday there would be no change to Moscow's conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, accusing the European Union of attempting "daylight robbery" by seeking to use frozen Russian assets.
Annual end-of-year press conference
Speaking at his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow, Putin said Russia remained open to peace talks only on the terms he outlined last year, including Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions and withdrawing from four regions claimed by Russia, demands Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
Putin was responding to the European Union decision to shelve plans to use frozen Russian assets as backing for loans to Ukraine, opting instead to borrow funds directly while keeping the assets immobilised.
"Theft is not the right word. It's daylight robbery," Putin said, arguing that fears of legal and financial repercussions had forced the EU to back away. He warned that such moves undermined trust in the euro zone as a safe place to hold foreign reserves.
The war dominated the four-hour televised event, during which Putin claimed Russian forces were advancing across the front line, a view disputed by Ukraine, which says Moscow's gains have been limited and costly.