ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) 鈥� President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia will strengthen its air defenses to counter recent Ukrainian drone attacks, which have and cast a cloud over his showcase economic forum in his hometown of St. Petersburg.
Speaking in response to a question from The Associated Press during a meeting with heads of international news agencies, Putin acknowledged the .
鈥淭o our regret, some of them break through,鈥� Putin said of the drone strikes. 鈥淩ussia has an air defense system, we need to improve it, strengthen it, and we will do that.鈥�
The wide-ranging media session came on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, his annual showcase for investment. Hours before the forum opened Wednesday, a Ukrainian an oil terminal in the city and also hit a nearby naval base.
Putin also said Russia is open for a compromise on Ukraine in line with understandings reached at his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, adding that Ukraine needs to accept them to make a deal to end the conflict,
Zelenskyy proposes talks
Also on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed face-to-face negotiations addressed directly to Putin. Zelenskyy , saying it would be wrong to wait for the U.S. to return its attention to Ukraine while it remains heavily focused on .
In Washington, Trump said it 鈥渨ould be great鈥� if Putin and Zelenskyy meet.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin hadn鈥檛 seen the letter yet and repeated his statement that Zelenskyy could come to Moscow if he wants talks. Putin said last month he doesn鈥檛 exclude a meeting in a third country, but only when there is a deal to sign.
Putin dismissed the idea that European Union countries could mediate Russia-Ukraine peace talks because 鈥渕ediation assumes neutrality. Where is the neutrality here?鈥�
Any potential third-party mediators needed to be trusted by both sides, Putin said.
鈥淗ow can Russia trust people who have been harping about the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia for years?鈥� he said.
Putin’s battlefield update
Commenting on Russia’s use of its Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile, Putin said it was fired at targets that allowed it to test its capability and precision before using it against objectives closer to residential areas.
鈥淲e hit the area where it was convenient to see the results,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was important for making a decision on the future on the full-format use of the Oreshnik on designated targets, including those in populated areas.鈥�
Putin emphasized his push for control of the entire Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, noting that Ukraine controls about 15% of its territory.
Putin declared that the 鈥減atriotism and will of the Russian people鈥� will ensure the achievement of goals that Moscow set in Ukraine.
鈥淩ussian troops are advancing along the entire line of contact,鈥� he said.
Putin said he has accepted Trump鈥檚 compromise proposals from the Alaska summit, saying they could 鈥渟erve as a basis of agreements between Russia and Ukraine and put an end to the conflict.”
Moscow wants a comprehensive settlement, not a temporary truce, he said.
鈥淭here is no need to suspend the hostilities to start negotiations,鈥� he said. 鈥淣aturally, the Ukrainian side would like us to suspend the advances made by Russian troops. But it would be better to end the war by agreeing to the compromises that were discussed in Anchorage.鈥�
Putin dismisses sabotage accusations
Asked about an across Europe, including sabotage, cyberattacks, attempted assassination and other activity that Western officials say are part of a Putin replied there was no detailed proof of Moscow’s involvement.
鈥淲hat are the specific facts? What has been proven?鈥� he said, adding that the accusations showed that Europe was not ready to talk to Russia as an equal partner.
鈥淭his only shows that certain political figures in the West are trying to carry out aggressive plans against the Russian Federation,鈥� he said.
Asked whether Russia could contribute to a settlement of the war in Iran, Putin responded that Moscow鈥檚 proposal to take enriched uranium from Iran for storage remains on the table. He noted Russia did so as part of the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers, “and we are ready to do it now.鈥�
His future as president
Putin, 73, who has held power in Russia for over a quarter-century, was asked if he planned to run for another term that would keep him in office until 2036, when he’ll be 83. He laughed and said he鈥檚 鈥渘ot even thinking about it.鈥�
鈥淥nly God knows if any of us will be healthy enough … to survive until tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, much less solve the problems we face and achieve the goals we set for ourselves,鈥� he said.
In 2020, Putin ordered amendments to the Russian Constitution that essentially reset his term limits, keeping him in power.
Drone attacks on St. Petersburg
Wednesday’s hit the nearby Kronstadt naval base and an oil terminal, sending a plume of black smoke above Russia鈥檚 second-largest city 鈥� an embarrassing blow to Putin’s efforts to cast the conflict as a distant event that doesn鈥檛 affect Russian daily life.
It also underscored Kyiv鈥檚 growing ability to hit deep inside Russia and showed the vulnerability of its cities. Scores of flights were delayed or diverted at St. Petersburg鈥檚 airport and authorities cut cellphone internet service to try to prevent drone attacks.
Putin had Russia鈥檚 annual Victory Day parade on May 9, fearing Ukrainian strikes. Days later, a massive drone attack on Moscow鈥檚 suburbs killed three and showed the capital鈥檚 vulnerability.
Peskov said Russia鈥檚 forces were carrying out 鈥渟ystematic鈥� On Tuesday, Russia launched deadly attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
Russia’s version of Davos
Putin has used the St. Petersburg forum, likened to the to showcase his country鈥檚 economic advances and encourage foreign investment. While Western officials and business leaders have stayed away after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, Russia has sought guests from elsewhere to underline its declared goal of promoting a 鈥渕ultipolar world.鈥�
Saudi Arabia sent a large delegation this year, and the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania and vice president of China also are present. A U.S. official, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., head of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, is attending for the first time in years.
Russia鈥檚 economic outlook has clouded as the initial boost from military spending has fizzled. The government raised taxes and increased domestic borrowing to keep its budget deficit under control.
Asked at the media session if Russia鈥檚 economy was struggling because of the military action, Putin paraphrased Mark Twain that 鈥渞umors of my death are highly exaggerated.鈥�
He said the economy was growing but admitted that inflation was a concern.
鈥淲e鈥檝e deliberately taken steps to cool the economy,鈥� Putin said of Russia鈥檚 Central Bank putting the country鈥檚 key interest rate at 14.5%, which he called 鈥渁 difficult decision.鈥�
鈥淵ou can say we鈥檝e cooled off, or you can say we haven鈥檛 done everything yet, but these are deliberate steps. We don鈥檛 want inflation 鈥� hyperinflation 鈥� to reach 60-80%, as it is some countries,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e fighting for the health of the Russian economy as a whole.鈥�
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