"I believe that if there is common sense, it is possible to reach an acceptable option or an acceptable way to end this conflict," he said.

Putin also said that the current US administration has the"will and desire" to find a solution."I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. We will see. Otherwise, we will be forced to achieve all our goals by military means," the Russian president added.

On the battlefield, Putin said Russian forces were advancing “on all fronts” in Ukraine. He said Ukraine was “not capable” of launching large-scale offensives and was now trying to plug gaps by regrouping troops.

He added:"We should not be relaxed now, maybe they are preparing some reserves, some actions, large-scale events, but the preliminary analysis of our military experts shows that the Ukrainian army does not have this capability."