Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow has the ability to take up more Ukraine land and will do it by force if Kyiv and its Western backers engage with US-backed peace proposals. Also, he addressed European leaders as “young pigs “while delivering a visible warning. During the Defence Ministry’s annual meeting, Putin announced that Russian forces are currently advancing across all active fronts. He declared that Russia intends to achieve the "liberation" of its historical lands using either diplomatic channels or military force. This defiant stance follows a period where United States-led efforts to negotiate an end to the war have stalled. By outlining these methods, Putin clarified how Russia plans to secure its territorial objectives despite the ongoing international diplomatic deadlock.
“If the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means,” Putin said.
According to Reuters, Russia has control over 19% of Ukraine land so far including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, most of the Donbas region, large parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and smaller sections of other regions and claims these are now part of Moscow.
Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said a task for 2026 was to increase the pace of Russia’s offensive. A slide shown during a speech he delivered said Russia was spending 5.1 percent of gross domestic product on the war in 2025.