Vladimir Putin has said Russia is open to concrete talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, provided fresh momentum can be brought to the negotiating process.
The Russian president was speaking to reporters in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, after attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. He said Moscow was “not against if anyone is able to bring positive momentum” to efforts to resolve the conflict.
However, Mr Putin also insisted that Russian forces would ultimately prevail on the battlefield, predicting that Ukrainian forces would “crumble”. He said drones remained the main challenge facing Russia, but claimed that Moscow was addressing the threat.
His comments came as diplomatic efforts involving the United States remained uncertain. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no concrete details about any intensification of mediation by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Mr Putin said Russia found it more comfortable to work with people it trusted, describing Mr Kushner and Mr Witkoff as welcome guests. The pair have been involved in recent US-led efforts to bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to negotiations.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said there had been discussions about raising the level of Russia-Ukraine talks, but that no specific proposals had yet been agreed. He also said there was no agreement for a meeting between Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, either bilaterally or as part of a trilateral format with the United States.
Asked about Mr Zelensky’s comments on closing Russian airspace, Mr Putin said he had not heard the proposal but described it as resembling “state terrorism”. He added: “No negotiations are held with terrorists. We will respond.”
The Kremlin’s latest statements underline the gap between Moscow’s stated willingness to discuss a settlement and its continued insistence that Russia is advancing militarily. No new round of formal negotiations was announced.
