ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) 鈥� Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday rejected a proposal by for a face-to-face meeting on the 4-year-old conflict, saying he sees 鈥渘o point鈥� in it.
Thursday’s letter, the first public message Zelenskyy has written directly to Putin since Russia , was a sweeping critique of the Russian leader鈥檚 26 years in power as well as some taunts about his age.
Speaking at the Putin described Zelenskyy鈥檚 open letter proposing the meeting as 鈥渂oorish.鈥�
鈥淚s it a way to create conditions for personal meetings and talks, or create an environment which makes any personal meetings impossible?鈥� Putin said at a question-and-answer session at his annual 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 the second.鈥�
Putin added that a Russian businessman whom he didn鈥檛 identify traveled to Kyiv last month and met with Zelenskyy to hear his offer of a personal meeting.
However, Putin said that he currently sees 鈥渘o point鈥� in such a meeting, especially after a May 22 drone attack by Ukraine on a college dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region that Moscow said killed 21 and wounded scores of others.
In response to Zelenskyy鈥檚 barbs about his age and long stay in power, the 73-year-old Putin pointed at other global leaders who are older, adding that 鈥渢he main thing isn鈥檛 age; the main thing is the ability to work.鈥�
He also mocked Zelenskyy’s rocky Oval Office meeting in 2025 and thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for 鈥渆ducating鈥� Zelenskyy 鈥渂efore the eyes of the whole world鈥� and teaching him a proper dress code.
鈥淭here is still a lot to be done,鈥� he said.
Zelenskyy , saying it would be wrong to simply wait for the Trump administration to return its attention to ending the fighting in Ukraine while it remains heavily focused on .
In Washington, Trump said Thursday it 鈥渨ould be great鈥� if Putin and Zelenskyy meet.
Putin has previously offered for Zelenskyy to come to Moscow for talks, an offer that the Ukrainian leader pointedly rejected. Putin said last month he doesn鈥檛 exclude a meeting in a third country, but only when there is a deal to sign.
On Thursday, Putin again rejected Zelenskyy鈥檚 push for an immediate ceasefire, arguing that Moscow wants a comprehensive settlement, not a temporary truce.
Putin said Russia is open for a compromise on Ukraine in line with understandings reached at his last year鈥檚 summit with Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, adding that Ukraine needs to accept them to make a deal
鈥淣aturally, the Ukrainian side would like us to suspend the advances made by Russian troops,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it would be better to end the war by agreeing to the compromises that were discussed in Anchorage.鈥�
Asked about Iran, Putin voiced hope for an eventual deal to secure lasting peace. He shrugged off claims that Moscow provided Iran with satellite images, saying that Tehran could use widely available commercial ones.
“As for weapons, Iran hasn鈥檛 asked us for them and we haven鈥檛 supplied any weapons to Iran,鈥� he said, adding that Russia stands ready to take enriched uranium for storage as part of a potential peace deal, and that Moscow has stayed in contact with Iran, the U.S. and Israel.
Global turbulence
In a speech earlier Friday at the forum, Putin said developing countries have gained an increasingly important role in the global economy, while the share of output by Western countries has shrunk.
He accused the West of undermining the global economy and finances with unilateral sanctions. By freezing Russian assets abroad through sanctions, Western nations eroded trust in their own currencies, he said.
鈥淭he sanctions and blocking of Russia鈥檚 sovereign reserves have irreversibly impacted the standing of international currencies, the dollar and the euro,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust like Russia, any other country could lose access to their legitimate assets in dollars or euros, as well as Western financial and payment systems.鈥�
He alleged that high state debt had helped undermine global trust in Western institutions.
鈥淭he roots of the current global turbulence lie in the transition from a vertical, hierarchical model, which served the interests of a small number of states, to a more complex, distributed and multipolar one,鈥� Putin said. 鈥淩ussia views global changes not only as a threat but also as immense opportunities. And to capitalize on them, we aim to act swiftly and pragmatically.鈥�
The Russian leader said the world needed a 鈥渕odern, flexible and responsible financial architecture 鈥� free from risks, bans and barriers.鈥�
Putin stresses Russia’s macroeconomic stability
Putin played down Russia鈥檚 economic slowdown and sought to emphasize its macroeconomic stability. He noted that Russia鈥檚 state debt is a fraction of that in Western countries and its budget deficit is considerably smaller, compared with the West.
The forum comes at a time when Russia鈥檚 economic outlook has clouded amid The government raised taxes and increased domestic borrowing to keep its budget deficit under control.
On Thursday, Putin told heads of international media on the forum’s sidelines that it was an exaggeration to say Russia’s economy was struggling. He noted that his government had taken deliberate steps to cool the economy to keep inflation under control.
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 gave speeches Friday. 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.
Cook was singled out in the audience during a question-and-answer session following Putin’s speech. Cook praised the beauty of St. Petersburg and Putin thanked him for the remarks about his hometown and asked to convey his greetings to Trump.
Hours before the forum opened Wednesday, a Ukrainian an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and also hit a nearby naval base.
Putin declared that Russia was 鈥渃almly and resolutely鈥� moving to reach its goals in Ukraine. He acknowledged the damage from Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russia and vowed to build up defenses.
鈥淭hey do inflict a certain damage,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or us, it means only one thing: we need to strengthen our security, strengthen air defenses, and we will do that.鈥�
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