The depletion of Ukraine’s military reserves should push the authorities in Kiev toward seeking a peaceful way out of the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual direct line session.

According to Putin, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have suffered heavy losses in their strategic reserves as a result of sustained and active operations by Russian troops. He noted that these reserves are now close to exhaustion, describing the situation as a critical factor that, in his view, ought to encourage the Kiev leadership to resolve outstanding disputes through political means and bring the conflict to an end without further escalation.

During the same exchange with journalists and members of the public, the Russian president also assessed the current condition of Russia’s own armed forces. Recalling remarks he had previously made at a Defense Ministry board meeting, Putin emphasized that the Russian army has undergone significant development. Taking into account the combat experience accumulated during the conflict and the introduction of new weapons systems, including strategic ones, he said the Russian Armed Forces can be regarded as the most combat-ready military in the world.

Putin also addressed the issue of presidential elections in Ukraine. He explained that discussions about potential external governance mechanisms had been raised only in hypothetical terms and would be possible solely if there were political will to pursue such an approach, including from Western countries.

At the same time, the Russian leader stressed that Ukraine’s authorities ultimately need to regain legitimacy, which he said can only be achieved through elections. He added that Russia is prepared to consider security-related issues if presidential elections were to take place in Ukraine, including measures aimed at reducing military pressure during the voting period.

Putin underlined that legitimacy cannot be restored without an electoral process, while cautioning that any attempt by Kiev to use potential elections merely as a tool to restrain the advance of Russian forces would be a serious mistake.

Separately, the president pointed out that, according to various estimates, between five and ten million Ukrainian citizens currently reside on Russian territory.