Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual end-of-year press conference on Friday. Below are some of his comments. He spoke in Russian and his words were translated by Reuters. ON UKRAINE PEACE TALKS "So far,

Putin claims no "willingness from Ukraine" to negotiate a peace deal as he touts battlefield gains, and Kyiv claims a brazen strike on a ship far from Russia.

Putin said at an annual meeting with top military officers that Moscow will move to expand a “buffer security zone” along the border.

Follow live updates from NBC News as Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at his annual year-end news conference on Ukraine, peace, war and Trump.

Ukraine also claimed to have struck a Russian warship and drilling facilities in the Caspian Sea during Kyiv ’s latest maritime blitz against Putin’s ailing war machine. Russian forces crossed the border into Ukraine’s Sumy region and took about 50 residents from a village back into Russia, Ukrainian media quoted the military as saying on Sunday.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine persists, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his nation's "troops are advancing," The Associated Press reported.

The young journalist in a red bow tie stood during President Vladimir Putin's annual news conference Friday and displayed a sign saying he wanted to get married. But his main question wasn't directed at Putin — it was to his girlfriend,