Speaking at Gostiny Dvor hall, Putin reiterated terms from his June 2024 speech: full Russian control over Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, plus Ukrainian neutrality.
"Russia is ready for negotiations," he said, but claimed advancing forces give Moscow leverage. He touted gains in areas like Krasny Lyman, insisting military goals will be met if talks fail.
On Europe's freshly agreed €90 billion loan to Ukraine—backed by EU budgets rather than frozen Russian assets—Putin called it "robbery done openly."
"Theft is secret; this is brazen," he charged, warning of eroded trust in the euro and vowing legal fights to recover funds. "They will have to return them sooner or later."
The four-hour-plus event drew over 2.4 million public questions. Putin highlighted Russia's economic growth against Europe's stagnation, particularly Germany's "lack of sovereignty."
He dismissed direct asset seizure but criticised the loan's burden on EU taxpayers.
As U.S.-led diplomacy presses for settlement, Putin's stance signals prolonged conflict unless Kyiv concedes core demands rejected by Ukraine and allies.
The conference underscored Moscow's confidence amid battlefield momentum and Western divisions over funding.
