Putin kept the door to dialogue with Europe open

Putin said at the forum in St. Petersburg that they are open to dialogue with Europe; Ukraine war, Oreshnik missile, Anchorage meeting, and Armenia-Azerb...

Scraper SystemJune 05, 2026, 11:04 AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with representatives of international news agencies at the International Economic Forum held in St. Petersburg. Answering questions about the latest situation in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine and the tensions with Western countries, Putin sent a message especially to European countries that continue to strongly support the Kiev administration. "THE NEGOTIATING PARTY MUST BE TRUSTWORTHY PEOPLE" Reiterating that they are always open to dialogue with Europe, Putin said, "I want to emphasize again, we have not given up on dialogue. If they want to start dialogue with Russia again, let them do it. I don't know who in Europe wants this. I have heard some claims that Russia has made some impositions and about who the negotiating party will be. We are not making any impositions, we are just curious about who will take this responsibility. It is worth repeating, the negotiating party must be trustworthy people." On the other hand, Putin drew attention to the position of European countries in the solution in Ukraine, stating, "EU countries can help in resolving the Ukraine issue. But this should be done not by supplying weapons, but by efforts to persuade Kiev to compromise." Putin also said that they do not oppose Ukraine's membership in the EU but claimed that the EU is trying to become a military alliance. "THE RUSSIAN ARMY CONTROLS AN AREA OF 2,400 SQUARE KILOMETERS" Putin also touched on the areas controlled by the Russian army in eastern Ukraine. Claiming that the Russian army controls an area of 2,400 square kilometers, Putin said, "To avoid mistakes, I cannot provide information about the settlements we control. However, the Russian army controls an area of 2,400 square kilometers and progress continues. Currently, we control all of Luhansk, more than 85% of Donetsk, and 80% of Zaporizhzhia," he said. "WE DID NOT LAUNCH THE ORESHNIK MISSILE INTO THE BATTLEFIELD" Russian President Vladimir Putin also addressed the global attention given to the "Oreshnik" hypersonic ballistic missile launched by the Russian army into Ukrainian territory. Saying that the Oreshnik missile was not launched into the battlefield, Putin said, "We tested similar systems but did not launch Oreshnik into the battlefield." Putin stated that the missile was launched into a damaged, abandoned area in the war and that they monitored its effects, saying, "The test results of the Oreshnik missile were launched to a place where they could be observed. Then our drones conducted inspections there. We calculated everything millimetrically. This was important for our decisions regarding the use of the Oreshnik missile in rural and urban areas." "THE NUMBER OF UKRAINIANS DESERTING HAS EXCEEDED 60,000" Putin claimed that Ukraine has suffered heavy losses in the war with Russia, stating, "Under the forced mobilization in Ukraine, about 15-16 thousand people are gathered monthly. They collect people from the streets like dogs. After the new year, about 20 thousand people desert every month in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the year, the number of deserters has exceeded 60,000," he said. "IF UKRAINE ACCEPTS, THE CONFLICT WILL END" Answering questions about when the war with Ukraine will end, Putin recalled the summit held with US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska. Recalling that a formula was developed at the summit to resolve the territorial issue in Ukraine, Putin emphasized that they are ready for consensus on this basis, saying, "We are ready to resolve the issue peacefully with Ukraine. This is based on the foundations we discussed with Donald Trump. At that time, Russia was asked about the concessions it could make. Russia accepted these concessions at the Anchorage meeting. This conflict will reach a natural conclusion in a short time," he said. Putin added that the possible peace with Ukraine would have historic importance, stating, "I say without exaggeration, this agreement will have historic importance for Russia and Ukraine." "LET A REFERENDUM BE HELD FOR EU MEMBERSHIP IN ARMENIA" Putin sent a message to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, saying that the Armenian leader has recently turned to the West and Europe and is increasingly distancing himself from the Eurasian Economic Union. Recalling Pashinyan's recent statements about a possible referendum on Armenia's EU membership, Putin said, "If considered, this would be our only wish. It should be held as soon as possible." Emphasizing that relations with Azerbaijan have improved despite the tensions with Armenia, Putin said, "I find the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan very good. We have always had good relations with Azerbaijan both economically and politically. A few years ago, we signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Relations are developing in this way," he said.

Putin kept the door to dialogue with Europe open

Putin said at the forum in St. Petersburg that they are open to dialogue with Europe; Ukraine war, Oreshnik missile, Anchorage meeting, and Armenia-Azerb...