Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday lashed out at European leaders calling them “little pigs” amid ongoing US-brokered peace talks.

In a bizarre rant against the West, the leader said: “Europe’s little pigs immediately joined in the work of the previous American administration, hoping to profit from the collapse of our country.”

He added that Russia would “liberate its historical lands on the battlefield” or through diplomacy but would achieve its territorial aims in the end. Putin had previously accused Western countries of “hysteria” adding that claims Russia wanted war with Europe were “a lie”.

It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out a ceasefire by Christmas, saying Russia is likely to reject a new European-backed peace proposal and that Ukraine must be ready to continue fighting.

Speaking on Tuesday, Zelensky said a final set of proposals would be completed within two days and handed by the United States to Moscow.

He said Kyiv expected the Kremlin to refuse the plan.

Russia has already dismissed calls for a Christmas truce, insisting any pause must meet its demands.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a clear indication Wednesday that he will not compromise on his demands for Ukraine to cede territory despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s intensifying push for peace.

In a combative speech delivered as U.S. and European leaders engage in frantic diplomatic efforts to secure a peace agreement, Putin lashed out at Ukraine’s European allies and said Russia would take territory by force if necessary.

“We would prefer to do this, and eliminate the root causes of the conflict, through diplomacy,” Putin said at the annual meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry.

“If the opposing country and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands through military means,” he added. He referred to regions he is demanding that Ukraine cede, a key sticking point in the ongoing peace talks.

This question of territory, as well as security guarantees for Ukraine, has proven difficult to resolve during the peace talks, exposing the competing priorities of Ukraine, the United States, Europe and Russia.

Russia has illegally annexed Ukraine’s Donbas region but has not fully conquered it. At the current rate of its advance, Russia would not seize the entire region until August 2027, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based conflict monitor.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv will not recognize the temporarily occupied part of the eastern Donbas region as legally or de facto Russian.

The Ukrainian president also appeared to reference the “historical lands” comment that Putin made in his address Wednesday night. “There are other countries in Europe that someone in Russia may one day call their ‘historical lands,’ Zelensky warned. “We need real protection from this Russian history of madness.”

Putin gave a long, winding speech. Kristina Kormilitsyna/Sputnik/AP, Trump has been consistently bullish on the prospect of striking a peace deal, saying this week that “we’re closer now than we have been.”

Ukraine’s European allies are more cautious and have sought robust security guarantees for the country.

Putin was at pains to stress that difference in his speech. Russia is “engaged in a dialogue with the U.S.,” but meaningful engagement with Europe on peace is unlikely under the current leadership, he said.

“I hope the same (engagement) will happen with Europe,” Putin added.

“It is unlikely that this is possible with the current political elites, but in any case, it will be inevitable as we continue to strengthen. If not with the current politicians, then when the current elites in Europe change,” he said.

Putin’s defiant comments came ahead of a key summit this week in Brussels, where European leaders will debate whether to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored the importance of reaching an agreement in a speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday, calling on the continent to take responsibility for its own security and continue funding Ukraine’s defense against Russia.