Putin faces the nation with 700 journalists, unmasks Ukraine campaign as Trump arm-twists Zelensky

At a marathon year‑end call‑in show in Moscow, Vladimir Putin told Russians he is “ready to negotiate” over Ukraine – but only on his terms: full Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, formal recognition of Crimea as Russian, an end to NATO ambitions and “demilitarisation,” plus the lifting of all Western sanctions. As more than 3 million questions reportedly flood into the Kremlin event, Donald Trump is pushing hard for a ceasefire “by Christmas,” with US envoys preparing fresh talks with both Kyiv and Moscow in Miami.