Putin claims 'troops are advancing,' will achieve goals as EU approves massive Ukraine loan

World 'Together, we are defending the future of our continent,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in thanking the EU for the loan decision NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Russian President Vladimir Putin noted on Friday that the nation's "troops are advancing" and expressed confidence that Russia will accomplish its objectives through military means if Ukraine does not assent to Russia's terms during peace talks, according to The Associated Press. "Our troops are advancing all across the line of contact, faster in some areas or slower in some others, but the enemy is retreating in all sectors," Putin declared during his annual news conference, according to the outlet.As the war drags on, the European Union has just agreed to provide Ukraine with a more than $105 billion loan.