The issue of territory gained, lost, to be ceded or not, remains the prime topic that must be considered, but it's the very thing that Ukraine's Zelensky refuses to talk about or compromise on, Putin explained.

"We know from statements from Zelenskyy that he's not prepared to discuss territory issues," Putin told Q&A attendees in the capital's Gostiny Dvor exhibition hall.

The Kremlin has pressed for Ukrainian troops to exit the Donbass, reduce the size of Kiev's military, and for their to be international legal recognition that annexed eastern territories are part of the Russian Federation.

What's more is that after the capture of the strategic Donetsk city of Pokrovsk in early December, Putin expects his forces will soon gobble up more territory.

Putin declared he's "certain that before the year's end we will witness new successes of our armed forces, our fighters."

He named specific places were Russian forces remain ascendent, according to state media translation:

There is also intensive fighting for Krasny Liman and Dmitrov, as well as Gulyay Pole in Zaporozhye Region, the president added.

In the south, Russian forces have captured the city of Kupyansk and are pressuring the Ukrainian battlegroup that dug in at a large railway juncture nearby. Putin said some 3,500 Ukrainian troops there "have virtually no chances" to survive after being denied a request to retreat.

"The time will come when our guys finish their work destroying the encircled Ukrainian forces on the northern bank of the river and turn to the west. That will happen pretty soon," Putin said.

Putin went on to explain that Zelensky's efforts to hold territory "at any cost" will only result in more devastating losses for Ukraine, and that sooner or later he'll be forced to concede at the future negotiating table, accepting defeat.

Speaking of prior efforts to solve the conflict, Putin said further of the Ukrainian side: "After the talks in Istanbul, they initially agreed... and then backed out, throwing all of those agreements into the trash. And now, in effect, they are refusing to bring this conflict to an end through peaceful means."

"Still, we see, feel and know that there are certain signals, including those coming from the Kyiv regime, indicating that they are prepared to engage in some form of dialogue," he added, expressing apparent hope for the Trump peace proposal.