Trump, who will return to the White House in January, has stoked fears in Kyiv that he could force Ukraine to accept peace on terms favourable to Moscow.
Holding his annual end-of-year press conference, the 72-year-old Kremlin leader said his troops held the upper hand across the battlefield and he only regretted not starting the offensive earlier.
But he was forced to admit he does not know when Russia will take back the western Kursk region where Ukrainian troops launched an incursion in August.
The traditional annual question and answer sessions are largely a televised show while also being a rare setting in which Putin is put on the spot with some uncomfortable questions. Putin spoke for just under four and a half hours.
Asked about Trump's overtures regarding a possible peace deal, Putin said he would welcome a meeting with the incoming Republican.
"I don't know when I'm going to see him. He isn't saying anything about it. I haven't talked to him in more than four years. I am ready for it, of course. Any time," Putin said.
"If we ever have a meeting with President-elect Trump, I am sure we'll have a lot to talk about," he said, adding that Russia was ready for "negotiations and compromises".
Kursk offensive
This story is from the December 20, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 20, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
18-YEAR-OLD HELD FOR KILLING MINOR STEPBROTHERS: COPS
An 18-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing his two minor stepbrothers by slitting their throats in Udalguri district of Assam, police said on Saturday, a day after the minors were reported missing.
AAP wins 26 councils in Punjab civic elections
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab won 26 out of 44 municipal councils and nagar panchayats and one of the five municipal corporations in the state, the polls for which were held on Saturday.
T'gana CM again slams Arjun over theatre stampede, actor hits back
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday alleged that actor Allu Arjun attended the screening of Pushpa 2: The Rule at the Sandhya theatre, where a woman died and her son got severely injured during a stampede earlier this month, despite police denying permission a charge rejected by the actor who called the incident \"purely an accident\".
Woman, 3 children found hanging in UP village; husband absconding
Bodies of a woman and her three children were found hanging under suspicious circumstances at a village in Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, police said.
'Data mapping needed along Myanmar border'
Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the demographic data of people along the India-Myanmar border should be mapped so that it can help in fencing the boundary and stopping infiltration.
Consider NE's growth as duty: Shah
Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday urged banks to prepare separate financial guidelines for the northeast keeping in mind its people and ground realities so that the region could witness all-round development.
3 MONTHS GIVEN FOR PARTIAL DEMOLITION OF SANJAULI MOSQUE
The Shimla municipal commissioner court granted the Sanjauli mosque committee three months to raze the unauthorised floors of the contested mosque on Saturday.
One dead, five trapped as building collapses in Mohali, owners booked
A 21-year-old woman died and at least five others were feared trapped after a four-storey building collapsed in Sohana village of Mohali district in Punjab on Saturday, police officers said.
Poll rules tweaked to restrict default public access to docs
AN OFFICIAL SAID THAT CANDIDATES AND AGENTS WILL CONTINUE TO GET ALL STATUTORY PAPERS, AS REQUIRED UNDER THE LAW
Delving into Delhi's mysteries
A group of history enthusiasts on Saturday morning gathered near the Town Hall at Chandni Chowk to discuss an important piece of the city's historical jigsaw puzzle - what is believed to be the last resting place of Dara Shukoh.
