MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia would press on with its war in Ukraine unless Kyiv did a deal that took Moscow鈥檚 security concerns into account, adding that the goals of the 鈥渟pecial military operation鈥� would in any case be met.

Fielding questions from the public and the media at an event dominated by the war, Putin 鈥� who has announced he will seek another six-year presidential term in March 鈥� said his original goals in Ukraine had not changed and that Russian forces were improving their position along most of the front line.

Russia鈥檚 core goals remain 鈥渄e-Nazification,鈥� 鈥渄e-militarization鈥� and securing Ukraine鈥檚 neutrality, the 71-year-old veteran leader said.

鈥淭here will be peace when we achieve our goals,鈥� he said.

鈥淎s for de-militarization, if they (the Ukrainians) don鈥檛 want to come to an agreement 鈥� well, then we are forced to take other measures, including military ones.

鈥淓ither we get an agreement, agree on certain parameters (on the size and strength of Ukraine鈥檚 military)... or we solve this by force. This is what we will strive for.鈥�

Putin has cast himself as the right man to keep leading Russia through a conflict he sees as existential for his country鈥檚 survival but which Kyiv and its Western allies view as an unprovoked colonial-style land grab.

At one point in Thursday鈥檚 marathon press conference, he took questions from Russian forces fighting near the frontline, with the sound of gunfire echoing in the background.

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Putin said he had detected signs that Western enthusiasm for providing Ukraine with military and financial aid 鈥� something he called 鈥渇ree stuff鈥� that could run out 鈥� was waning, but that he believed Kyiv would keep getting help for now.

Putin reiterated his position that NATO鈥檚 eastern expansion toward Russia鈥檚 borders 鈥� including Ukraine鈥檚 stated desire to join the Western military alliance 鈥� was the fundamental cause of the conflict.

鈥淭he unbridled desire to creep toward our borders, taking Ukraine into NATO, all this led to this tragedy... They forced us into these actions,鈥� he said.

鈥淲hen internal changes happen (in the United States), when they start respecting other people... when they start looking for compromise instead of trying to resolve their issues with sanctions and military intervention, then the fundamental conditions will be in place to restore fully-fledged relations.鈥�

Putin also compared Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine to Israel鈥檚 bombing of the Gaza Strip, saying the two conflicts were very different and that Gaza had become a graveyard for Palestinian children.

Russia says its air strikes do not deliberately target civilians but UN officials say more than 10,000 Ukrainians have been killed and over 18,000 injured since Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Putin ruled out a further wave of military mobilization at home, adding that Russia currently had 617,000 Russian troops fighting in battle zones across Ukraine.

鈥淭he flow of men ready to defend our homeland... is not decreasing... There is no need for mobilization as of today,鈥� he said.