Charles Mainz

Putin's remarks came during an annual press conference during which he fielded questions from both reporters and the Russian public for several hours.

The Kremlin leader boasted of recent battlefield gains and said peace would come once Ukraine had accepted Russian demands that include ceding territory and a formal ban on joining NATO.

Putin also thanked President Trump for his efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict and said he'd received certain signals that Kyiv was ready to engage in some kind of dialogue.

The Kremlin has said it's still waiting to hear details on the Trump administration's latest peace proposals following talks with Ukrainian and European officials this week.

Charles Mainz, NPR News.

Putin has said he sees the American plan as a possible framework for a peace settlement.

Yet ahead of his meeting, the Kremlin leader touted recent Russian battlefield advances and accused Ukraine's leadership of being weak and out of touch with reality on the ground.

Putin also said he preferred negotiating with the U.S.

to Europe, accusing Europeans of providing obviously unacceptable conditions aimed at prolonging the war.

Putin's comments appeared part of an effort to convince the White House it should pressure Ukraine to accept maximalist Russian demands.

Those include ceding territory claimed but not controlled by Russian forces, despite more than three years of heavy fighting.

Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow.

The Kremlin often says it would prefer to achieve its goals in Ukraine through diplomatic rather than military means.

That was the core message of a lengthy press conference by President Putin in Central Asia.

Putin said he still considered a U.S.

peace proposal a loose roadmap towards ending the conflict...

but warned Russia would secure its territorial goals by force if Ukraine refused to withdraw voluntarily.

Putin also weighed in on recently leaked phone transcripts that suggested White House envoy Steve Witkoff was biased in favor of Moscow in the peace negotiations.

Putin called Witkoff an intelligent man who promoted the interests of his country.

Witkoff is expected back in Moscow for talks with Putin next week.