Vladimir Putin has hinted at an end to the Ukraine war as he started his annual marathon news conference in Russia. 

The Russian president said his military was ‘advancing towards achieving our primary goals’ in Ukraine.

‘The situation is changing radically, we are advancing along the entire front line,’ he said at the conference broadcast live by state-controlled TV stations across Russia’s 11 time zones, attended by journalists from the country’s over 80 regions.

Asked when Russian troops will drive Ukrainian forces out of that region, Putin responded that ‘we will certainly kick them out’ but would not say when. He also pledged to restore the infrastructure damaged by fighting.

Putin, who has held power for nearly a quarter of a century, hinted at the end to the Ukraine war being near about a month before Donald Trump is inaugurated as US President. 

Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine and a proposal, outlined by three of his staffers, said his plane would involve a 800-mile demilitarised zone between Russia and Ukraine.

It would mean that Russia would keep its territorial gains made in Ukraine with the current border frozen in place.