Vladimir Putin said Russia’s troops are advancing and warned the country will achieve its objectives if Ukraine does not accept Russian terms, following his annual end-of-year Direct Line event where he repeated uncompromising demands.The comments came as the European Council approved €90 billion in support for 2026–2027 and Volodymyr Zelensky thanked EU leaders, while Kyiv said it carried out an underwater drone strike on a Russian submarine near Novorossiysk.Putin reiterated that negotiations are possible only on Moscow’s terms — including Ukrainian withdrawal from some territories and abandonment of NATO aspirations — and framed diplomacy as preferred but promised military action if talks fail, even as Russia faces slower growth and a recent Bank of Russia rate cut.