-President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia would be prepared to talk to Ukraine, the United States and Europe about the future of Ukraine if they wanted to, but that Moscow would defend its national interests.

Russian President Putin holds his annual press conference in Moscow.

Putin, who sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, has repeatedly said he would be prepared to talk about peace, though Western officials say he is waiting for the U.S. presidential election in November before making a genuine effort.

"In Ukraine, those who are aggressive towards Russia, and in Europe and in the United States - do they want to negotiate? Let them. But we will do it based on our national interests," Putin told a meeting of the defence leadership in Moscow.

"We will not give up what is ours," Putin said, adding that Russia did not intend to fight with Europe.

Russia controls about 17.5% of the territory that was internationally recognised as part of Ukraine when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and last year said the four additional regions of Ukraine that its troops partially control are part of Russia. Kyiv says it will not rest until every last Russian soldier is ejected from Ukraine.

RUSSIA AT WAR

Putin spoke at a meeting of the defence ministry which was attended by the military top brass, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, as well as Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov.

Russian troops, Putin said, now had the initiative on the battlefield.

"We are not going to abandon the goals of the special military operation," Putin said, though he added that Russia needed better military communication, reconnaissance, targeting and satellite capability.

He said Russia's defence industry was responding faster than that of the West and said Russia would continue to upgrade its nuclear forces and keep its combat readiness at a high level.

Russia's production of tanks has increased since February 2022 by 5.6 times, unmanned aerial vehicles by 16.8 times and artillery shells by 17.5 times, Shoigu said.

He said Russia had taken on 490,000 contract and voluntary soldiers in 2023. Next year, Russia will try to boost that contracted force to 745,000 men.

Russian forces have laid 7,000 km of minefields in Ukraine - some up to 600 metres wide, along with 1.5 million anti-tank barriers and 2,000 km of anti-tank ditches, Shoigu said.

Putin said Ukrainian membership of NATO "is not acceptable for Russia in 10 years, and not in 20".

President Vladimir Putin says his troops are "holding the initiative" in Ukraine

Putin claims Russia's military has the momentum in Ukraine and is poised to meet Moscow's goals.

Putin spoke at a meeting with top military brass a day after he presented documents to Russia’s Central Election Commission to seek reelection in the March presidential vote that he's all but certain to win.

“Our troops are holding the initiative,” the Russian leader said. “We are effectively doing what we think is needed, doing what we want. Where our commanders consider it necessary to stick to active defenses they are doing so, and we are improving our positions where it's needed.”

The Russian leader praised Russia's troops for beating back Ukrainian attacks during the counteroffensive that started in June.

“The enemy has suffered heavy casualties and to a large extent wasted its reserves while trying to show at least some results of its so-called counteroffensive to its masters,” Putin said, adding that ”the myth about invulnerability of Western weapons also has collapsed."

“All attempts by the West to deliver us a military defeat, a strategic defeat, were shattered by the courage and fortitude of our soldiers, the growing might of our armed forces and the potential of our military industries,” Putin said.

During the counteroffensive that began in early June, Ukrainian forces have failed to make any significant gains as they faced multi-echeloned Russian defensive lines, including sprawling minefields.

Speaking at the same meeting, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the Russian minefields spread for 7,000 kilometers (more than 4,300 miles).

Shoigu said that 650,000 Russian soldiers have received combat experience in Ukraine, turning the Russian army into “the best prepared and capable army in the world, armed with advanced weapons that have been tested in combat.”

“Despite the sanctions, we produce more high-tech weapons than NATO countries,” Shoigu said.

He declared that the Russian arms industries have increased the output of tanks by 5.6 times, the number of drones built by 16.8 times and bolstered the production of artillery munitions by 17.5 times since the start of what the Kremlin calls “the special military operation” in Ukraine.

Shoigu said the military has received more than 1,500 new and modernised tanks, more than 2,500 armored infantry vehicles and 237 new planes and helicopters.

While hailing the military's performance, Putin noted the need to improve military communications, streamline the use of intelligence and counterartillery means, and increase supplies of precision munitions and drones. He added that Russia also needs to expand the capability of its satellite assets.

Putin particularly emphasised the importance of bolstering the country's nuclear forces, saying that their role has increased amid “the changing character of military threats and the emergence of new military-political risks.”

Putin reaffirmed his long-held argument that he sent Russian troops into Ukraine to counter security threats to Russia posed by Western plans to incorporate the country in NATO. Ukraine and its Western allies have denounced the move by Moscow as an unprovoked act of aggression.

“The West isn't abandoning its strategy of containment of Russia and its aggressive goals in Ukraine,” Putin said. "Well, we also aren't going to abandon the goals of the special military operation.”

He declared that Russia is open for talks to end the conflict but warned that “we won't give up what is ours.”

“If they want to talk, let them enter the talks,”Putin said. “But we will proceed from our interests.”