Russian President Vladimir Putin has described his decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022 as “spontaneous,” admitting the operation was carried out with minimal preparation. 

Speaking during his annual Q&A session, in which Putin fields questions from a number of journalists and the public, Putin claimed the invasion was a response to escalating tensions, saying Russia could no longer stand idle as “the situation deteriorated.” The annexation of Crimea in 2014 had also been unplanned, he claimed. 

Reflecting on the Ukraine invasion, he acknowledged that better preparation would have been prudent, also stating that in hindsight he would have started the invasion earlier.

“The decision made in early 2022 should have been made earlier,” he said. “That’s the first thing. And second, knowing this, we simply should have started preparing earlier for these actions, including the special military operation.”

The lack of preparation has created “a serious test for the entire country,” Putin said, maintaining, however, that despite the significant costs, the invasion of Ukraine was unavoidable to protect Russia’s security interests. Analysts have highlighted significant failures in Russian military planning and intelligence, including erroneous assessments from the Federal Security Service (FSB). Reports suggest the FSB exaggerated the level of local support for Russian forces, leading Putin to believe regions like Kyiv and Kharkiv would welcome Russian troops. Instead, the invasion met fierce resistance, forcing Russian forces to retreat from key areas by April 2022.

Beyond operational failures, the war has severely strained Russia’s economy and military, exacerbated by heavy international sanctions and mounting casualties. Nevertheless, Putin has continued to tout progress, citing territorial gains and claiming Russia is meeting its objectives. He has repeatedly avoided providing a timeline for victory, emphasising the unpredictability of warfare. In particular, Putin acknowledged the challenges facing Russia’s forces, particularly in Ukraine’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops control approximately 500 square kilometres. 

“I cannot and do not want to name an exact date for when they will be pushed out.” he said. “Our guys are fighting, and battles are ongoing right now. The fighting is serious … but we will definitely push them out.”

Putin stated Russia’s willingness to negotiate with Ukraine “without preconditions,” while simultaneously stating talks could only occur based on the 2022 Istanbul agreements, “taking into account the progress [Russia has] made on the ground” – likely meaning that Russia should be able to keep land it currently occupies. 

The so-called Istanbul agreement emerged from peace negotiations in February and March 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While Moscow has frequently asserted that these talks resulted in a formal peace deal, Kyiv has consistently maintained that no agreement was signed. Ukraine acknowledges that discussions took place and compromises were considered, but insists that no binding commitments were made. Kyiv’s Western allies were reportedly not consulted during these negotiations. Ukraine has repeatedly emphasised that its decision to withdraw from the talks was influenced by the discovery of atrocities in Bucha. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed the deal was ultimately derailed by Western interference, specifically by then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who allegedly sought to prolong the conflict to weaken Russia. These assertions have been denied by both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Johnson.

As things stand, Russia’s demands include recognition of Crimea and other occupied territories as Russian, as well as Ukraine’s agreement to a neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status – conditions Kyiv has categorically rejected as ultimatums.