Putin says he’s always ready for talks with Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said he didn’t know when he would resume discussions with President-elect Donald Trump. The two have not spoken in more than four years, Putin said. The Russian leader’s comments came during Putin’s annual end-of-year address where he appears to field questions from reporters.

Has Putin said anything during the address about the war in Ukraine? Putin dared Western powers to stop one of Russia’s new hypersonic Oreshnik missiles after it was launched. The missile is impossible to shoot down, Putin said.

Asked about recent changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, he reiterated that Russia could use nuclear weapons to defend itself, and its neighbor Belarus, against any attacks by nuclear powers.

Putin also insisted that Moscow was willing to meet for peace talks with Ukraine, but that Ukraine has not been willing to negotiate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that it was Russia who needed to be convinced of the need for peace. He urged The United States and European countries to gather behind Ukraine in a way that would force the Kremlin to look for peaceful solutions to the conflict.

Dig deeper:Read my report in The Sift about Russian authorities arresting a citizen of Uzbekistan who reportedly killed a Russian general on behalf of Ukraine.