Key takeaways from Putin's 1st major news conference since war on Ukraine began

• The news conference in Moscow was also the first that foreign journalists had been invited to attend since the war began in February 2022.

Zoom in: Putin said in response to a New York Times reporter's question about Gershkovich, who's been behind bars since March, and former Marine Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year prison sentence, that U.S. and Russian officials were in "dialogue" about the release of two Americans that the State Department says Moscow has wrongfully detained.

• On Ukraine, Putin said "there will be peace when we will achieve our goals," as he again insisted "victory will be ours."
• Two days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Capitol Hill to press lawmakers for more U.S. military aid, Putin said Kyiv had been getting "freebies" but this could "run out at some point, and it looks like they're already starting to run out."

Of note: The 71-year-old Russian leader, who last week announced plans for another presidential term next year, took a question from an AI-generated deep fake of himself during the news conference, which was an annual event before his war on Ukraine.

• The "student of St. Petersburg University" asked Putin via video link for his views on "the dangers" of artificial intelligence.

• "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," Putin replied.
• "That is my first double, by the way," added Putin, who's faced speculation that he uses body doubles due to health issues — claims the Kremlin denies.

Go deeper: Biden warns of "Christmas gift" to Putin as GOP shrugs off Zelensky visit