I should have invaded Ukraine earlier, Putin has said

Vladimir Putin’s annual end-of-year press conference, known for its marathon length, has wrapped up.

The Russian president addressed a broad range of domestic and international issues during the session, which included more than four hours of questions from the public and journalists.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• On Ukraine: Putin declared that "victory is nearer" in Ukraine, claiming the situation was "changing drastically" and that Russian forces were reclaiming territory daily.
• Cross-border attacks: He refrained from specifying when Ukrainian troops would leave Russia’s Kursk region, suggesting that setting a deadline could push Russian forces to act recklessly to meet it. This follows Ukraine’s cross-border attack into Russia in August.
• Syrian relations: Putin confirmed he "definitely" plans to meet with former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who has been in Moscow since the fall of his regime.
• US relations: He stated there are no current plans for a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump but expressed his willingness to meet if Trump initiates it.
• Reflections on 2022: When asked what he might have done differently, Putin said he should have launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine earlier.

Putin also used the platform to address domestic concerns, including combating telephone scams, tackling the nation’s declining birth rate, and easing the challenges young Russians face in securing mortgages.