Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual press conference and phone-in in Moscow on December 14, addressing various critical issues ranging from the conflict in Ukraine to relations with the West and the state of the Russian economy.

In previous years, the conference and phone-in were held separately. In 2022, in the wake of the war in Ukraine, both were cancelled. This year they were merged, with Putin taking questions from both journalists in the conference hall and from Russians around the country.

On Ukraine, Putin stated that peace is contingent on achieving Russia's goals, including the “denazification” and “demilitarisation” of Ukraine, in line with his speech on 22 February 2022, when he launched the invasion.

“As for demilitarisation, if they don't want to come to an agreement, then we are forced to take other measures, including military ones,” Putin stated, claiming that a peace treaty had previously been agreed but then fell through. “We agreed on these in talks in Istanbul. But then these agreements were scrapped. But we agreed on this. There are other possibilities – either reach an agreement or resolve it by force. This is what we will strive for.”

Putin also stated that the troops on the front line in Ukraine are “improving their position.”

Addressing the possibility of a second military draft, he claimed that a substantial number of volunteers are signing up daily, stating that current circumstances do not necessitate further mobilisation.

“The flow of men ready to defend our homeland with arms in hand is not decreasing. Together with volunteers, there are around half a million people. There is no need for mobilisation as of today,” he said.

Traditionally, Putin also criticised the West, especially the United States and European nations, for their actions leading up to the Ukraine conflict and their general approach towards Russia. He directly blamed the West for the war, claiming that Moscow was “forced” to invade, due to the “unbridled desire to creep towards [Russian] borders” and “the bloody events in Donbass for eight years.”

“What the United States conceived and organised, Europe stands by and silently watches, or plays and sings along with them there,” he said.

However, he asserted that Russia is open to restoring relations based on mutual respect and finding compromises. Putin praised the level of relations with China, calling it an all-time high, and expressed readiness to resume dialogue with France, stating that the halt in communication was the fault of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Putin also touched on Russia's economic situation, projecting a 3.5% GDP growth by the end of the year, indicating a recovery from the previous year's downturn. He acknowledged a rise in inflation, expected to reach between 7.5% and 8%, and assured that the government and central bank were taking necessary measures to address it. He also discussed the implementation of capital controls.

“We have a legitimate desire to see how rubles are accumulated, how they move around, where they go and in what volumes,” he said. “The government and central bank do not see what is happening with the volumes of funds our exporters are making from exports.”

The Russian President also addressed the case of detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich, suggesting the possibility of a prisoner swap based on an agreement with Washington. Gershkovich was detained in March 2023, on charges of espionage, the first time a journalist working for an American news outlet has been arrested in Russia on charges of spying since the Cold War.