Putin signals no compromises to end war

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the Russian military is advancing across the battlefield in Ukraine, expressing confidence that it will achieve its objectives if Ukraine does not agree to a deal meeting his demands.

“Our troops are advancing all across the line of contact, faster in some areas or slower in some others, but the enemy is retreating in all sectors,” Putin said at his end-of-year live news conference, saying his troops have “fully seized the strategic initiative.”