Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Ukraine is not prepared for peace talks, insisting Kyiv must accept territorial concessions and military limits to end the conflict, according to remarks delivered during his annual press conference.
Putin claimed Russian forces hold the strategic advantage and are advancing along the eastern front.
His comments came as U.S. officials continue pushing negotiations under President Donald Trump, who has urged a rapid diplomatic resolution.
Ukrainian drones blow up Russian oil tanker in ‘unprecedented’ Mediterranean strike https://t.co/h1qT5vn9oB pic.twitter.com/yj63jjsYoX
— New York Post (@nypost) December 19, 2025
Ukraine, meanwhile, reported its first-ever strike on a Russian-linked oil tanker in the Mediterranean.
Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency said drones disabled the Oman-flagged tanker Qendil, which Kyiv claims was part of Moscow’s sanctions-evading “shadow fleet” used to fund the war .
European divisions over Ukraine funding also surfaced this week. The European Union approved more than $100 billion in financial aid through interest-free loans, while stopping short of seizing frozen Russian assets due to internal resistance.
Moscow has not publicly responded to the tanker strike.
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TIPP Staff
