Russian President Vladimir Putin has held his year-end press conference where he fielded questions on everything from the Russia-Ukraine war to rising egg prices.
These are some of the key moments from Thursday's marathon four-hour event.
Russia-Ukraine war
Putin vowed to fight on in Ukraine until Moscow secures the country's "demilitarisation", "denazification" and neutrality unless Kyiv accepts a deal that achieves those goals.
He said his initial goals in Ukraine had not changed and that Russian forces had taken the initiative on the battlefield in the "special military operation" he launched on 24 February 2022.
Putin reiterated his view that the Western military alliance's eastward expansion was the main cause of the war - a view dismissed by the West, which sees Putin as the aggressor.
"There will be peace when we achieve our goals ... As for demilitarisation, if they (the Ukrainians) don't want to come to an agreement - well, then we are forced to take other measures, including military ones.
"Either we get an agreement, agree on certain parameters (on the size and strength of Ukraine's military) ... or we solve this by force. This is what we will strive for."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said negotiations with Russia are impossible until all Russian soldiers have been expelled from Ukrainian territory, and is seeking further Western assistance to defend his country.
Kyiv and its allies have also dismissed Putin's suggestion that Zelenskyy, a Jew, heads a "Nazi regime".
Putin, Russia's paramount leader for over two decades, has cast himself as the right man to continue leading Russia through a conflict that he sees as existential for Russia's survival. Kyiv and its Western allies see the war on Ukraine as an unprovoked colonial-style land grab.
An egg-related apology
Putin issued a rare apology when a pensioner complained to him about the price of eggs.
Seated at her kitchen table and addressing the president by video link, Irina Akopova complained that prices for eggs, chicken breasts and wings had all skyrocketed.
A Russian military officer called in to ask President Vladimir Putin a question during the annual press conference. Source: Getty / Contributor
The question reflected real concern among Russians at the cost of living, and came after Putin had already acknowledged that inflation may approach 8 per cent this year.
"I apologise for this, but this is a failure of the government's work ... I promise that the situation will be corrected in the near future," Putin said.
Russia's Olympic Games participation
Putin supported Russians competing at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics but said the country should ponder whether it should compete if the event is designed to portray Russian sport as "dying".
"They have been training for years ... and that's why I supported our athletes going to such competitions, but we still need to carefully analyse the conditions the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has put forward," Putin said.
"If the IOC's artificial conditions are designed to cut off the best Russian athletes and portray at the Olympics that Russian sport is dying, then you need to decide whether to go there at all," Putin said.
The press conference was held at the Gostiny Dvor trade and exhibition centre in Russia's capital, Moscow. Source: Getty / Anadolu
It said that neutral athletes will compete only in individual sports and no teams for the two countries will be allowed. Athletes who actively support the war in Ukraine are not eligible, nor are those contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military.
Russia has vigorously protested the restrictions against its athletes, arguing that they go against the spirit of the Games
Putin confronts his AI 'double'
Putin appeared briefly lost for words on Thursday when confronted with an AI-generated version of himself.
The "double" took the opportunity to put a question to Putin about artificial intelligence during the annual news conference.
"Vladimir Vladimirovich, hello, I am a student at St Petersburg State University. I want to ask, is it true you have a lot of doubles?" the double asked, prompting laughter among the audience in the hall with Putin in Moscow.
"And also: How do you view the dangers that artificial intelligence and neural networks bring into our lives?"
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) appeared briefly lost for words on Thursday when confronted with an AI-generated version of himself (right). Source: Reuters
"I see you may resemble me and speak with my voice. But I have thought about it and decided that only one person must be like me and speak with my voice, and that will be me," he said.
There has been recurrent speculation, particularly in Western media, that Putin has one or more body doubles to cover for him in some public appearances because of alleged health problems. The Kremlin had denied that and said the president's health is excellent.
