Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during annual news conference in Moscow, Russia December 20, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the Taliban should be taken into account at peace talks on Afghanistan because of the amount of territory they control.

Speaking at his annual news conference, Putin also said that Russia needed to beef up its military base in neighboring Tajikistan due the situation in Afghanistan.