Moscow [Russia], December 28 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday visited a command post of the Russian Armed Forces and his remarks there that if Ukraine refuses to end things peacefully, Russia would meet the challenges with force, as reported by TASS.

RT reported that Putin said, 'If Kiev does not want peace, Russia will achieve all Special Military Operation goals by military means'.

Putin said that the establishment of a buffer zone on the Russian-Ukrainian border is proceeding well, and that Russian Armed Forces are advancing in Donbass and the Zaporozhye Region along the entire line of engagement.

Putin made the remarks after his meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and the commanders of the battle groups. He also heard on the liberation of Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye Region and Dimitrov in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) as per TASS.

It further reported that the remarks by the head of state and the Chief of the General Staff highlighted that the regime leaders in Kiev are in 'no hurry' to resolve the conflict peacefully.

His remarks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that the territories which Russia occupied during the four-year-long running war and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) are 'red lines' for Ukraine, emphasising that any sensitive decisions would require consultation with the Ukrainian people through a referendum or legislative changes, ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday.

In a series of posts on X, Zelenskyy, while en route to the US, said that Ukraine aims to minimise unresolved issues in any future settlement but underscored that questions related to territory, the Zaporizhzhia NPP, and national sovereignty remain highly sensitive.

He emphasised that strong security guarantees are Ukraine's top priority in any peace process. (ANI)