Putin says Russia ready to negotiate peaceful settlement of all problems arising in recent years

At the meeting, Putin also slammed the West for initiating the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"We, as before, are ready to negotiate and are ready to resolve all the problems that have arisen in recent years peacefully," Putin said.

The Russian leader did not specify the exact nature of these problems but blamed the West for the escalation of the 2022 conflict.

"It wasn't us who started the war in 2022. It was the destructive forces in Ukraine, supported by the West. In essence, the West itself unleashed this war. We are only trying to end it," he asserted.

Noting that the previous U.S. administration had deliberately steered the situation toward armed confrontation, Putin said that Russia is currently engaged in dialogue with the current U.S. administration, and expressed his hope for similar talks with Europe.

On the future development of the Russian military, the president emphasized the necessity of maintaining technological superiority.

He outlined it as a key task that the Russian army must continue to remain at the forefront of technological progress, which necessitates the rapid introduction of robotics, information technology, and new materials into the military, as well as the expanded use of artificial intelligence technologies in control systems and autonomous combat systems.