Putin: Russia may seize new territories in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on December 17 that Russia may forcibly seize another part of Ukraine's territory. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

He called on Kyiv and European politicians to discuss the US peace proposals and sharply criticized them. The US held negotiations with Russian, Ukrainian, and European leaders to end the war, but no agreement was reached between the parties.

Ukraine and European countries are concerned about demands for territorial concessions and are insisting on strict security guarantees. According to Putin, Russia is striving to achieve its goals in all directions, pursuing them through diplomatic means or by using force.

Currently, Russia controls about 19 percent of Ukraine's territory, including the Crimean Peninsula, Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov announced that offensive operations are tasked to be intensified in 2026.

He also stated that during 2025, Russia spent 5.1 percent of its gross domestic product on the war.