Putin received positive signals from Kiev – but complains of robbery

Europeans will have to “return what was stolen” to Russia, claims the Russian president. But your country managed to balance its budget.

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, today warned the Europeans that “they will have to return what was stolen” has Russia and that Moscow intends to recover, through legal means, the assets frozen due to the war in Ukraine.

“Robbery is not the exact word. (…) What they try to do to us is openly a assault”, said Putin during a live television intervention in front of the press and citizens to take stock of 2025.

Putin said that “regardless of what they steal and how they do it, at some point they will have to return it”, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.

The Russian leader was commenting on the European Union’s (EU) decision to opt for issuing debt to finance Ukraine by 90 billion euros in 2026 and 2027, instead of using Russia’s frozen assets.

Despite the sanctions, Vladimir Putin announced today that Russia managed to balance the budget and has a balance at 2021 levelbefore the war with Ukraine.

Putin considered it to be a fundamental indicator of the stability of the country’s economy and financial system. He said that economic and financial stability will make it possible to achieve various objectives within the scope of national projects and meet the needs of the armed forces.

“All of this, taken together, gives reasons to talk about the stability of the economy”, he said, quoted by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

Not ground

As Russian troops advance on all fronts in Ukraineaccording to the Russian president: “Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact (…), the enemy retreats in all directions”, declared Putin, according to the news agency France-Presse (AFP).

“I am sure that, before the end of this year, we will still see new successes”, mentioned.

Putin also said he had received “certain signals” that Ukraine intended to talk to Russia to end the war, although it is not yet willing to end the territorial issue.

“We see, feel and know of certain signs, including from Kiev, that they are willing to enter into some type of dialogue”, he said, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.

Putin reaffirmed that Russia was willing to “end the conflict peacefully” based on the principles he outlined in June 2024, “if the original causes that provoked the conflict are eliminated.”