Putin derides European leaders as he insists Russia's war goals in Ukraine will be met by force or diplomacy

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia’s goals successful Ukraine are unchanged and volition beryllium accomplished, either done negotiations oregon by further subject advances if diplomatic efforts fail.

Putin, speaking astatine an yearly committee gathering of the country's Defense Ministry, touted Russia's subject advancement connected the battlefield and technological advancements arsenic his warfare successful Ukraine grinds connected into a 4th year.

"The goals of the peculiar subject cognition volition undoubtedly beryllium achieved," helium said, utilizing the Kremlin's word to notation to Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion.

"We would similar to execute this and code the basal causes of the struggle done diplomatic means. However, if the opposing broadside and its overseas patrons garbage to prosecute successful substantive dialogue, Russia volition execute the liberation of its humanities lands by subject means," the Russian person told subject officials, according to a transcript of the code released by the government.

PUTIN CALLS TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN A ‘STARTING POINT’ AS HE WARNS UKRAINE TO PULL BACK OR FACE 'FORCE'

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov be the yearly committee gathering of the Defense Ministry successful Moscow connected Dec. 17, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Putin besides took purpose astatine Kyiv and its European allies for "whipping up hysteria" astir Moscow arsenic the Trump medication works to extremity the war. 

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned allies past week that Russia could beryllium acceptable to usage subject unit against the confederation wrong 5 years and urged members to boost defence spending and accumulation truthful their equipped forces person the resources to support their homelands.

Putin referred to European leaders arsenic "piglets" during the Defense Ministry meeting, according to a translated video of the remarks posted by Russian statesmanlike envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

TRUMP TOUTS 'TREMENDOUS PROGRESS' BUT SAYS HE'LL MEET PUTIN AND ZELENSKYY 'ONLY WHEN' PEACE DEAL IS FINAL

Russian troops basal for a infinitesimal of soundlessness astatine the yearly committee gathering of the Defense Ministry successful Moscow connected Dec. 17, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The remark was portion of a broader tirade against the West, with Putin accusing European governments of helping Washington effort to weaken and disagreement Russia.

"They were hoping to nett from the illness of our country. To get backmost thing that was mislaid successful erstwhile humanities periods and effort to instrumentality revenge, said Putin. "As it has present go evident to everyone, each these attempts and each these destructive plans towards Russia wholly failed."

The remarks travel arsenic U.S., European, Russian and Ukrainian officials prosecute successful a flurry of diplomacy implicit imaginable paths to ending the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his negotiating squad met successful Berlin connected Sunday with Jared Kushner and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to sermon information guarantees for Ukraine.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, beforehand enactment from left, and Onas Gahr, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ursula von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, backmost enactment from left, basal unneurotic successful the chancellery successful Berlin, Germany, connected Dec. 15, 2025. (Markus Schreiber, Pool/AP)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Witkoff and Kushner antecedently held a five-hour gathering successful Moscow with Putin and apical overseas argumentation adjutant Yuri Ushakov successful aboriginal December to hash retired elements of a revised bid connection aft the archetypal leaked 28-point draught drew disapproval for being excessively favorable to the Kremlin.

Ushakov said the Russian broadside received 4 documents from the U.S. envoys during the meeting, including 1 that consisted of 27 points, but declined to spell into item of what they contained.