Summary

Putin on Kiev’s ‘terrorism,’ British ‘legitimate targets’ and a ‘military secret’ (KEY REMARKS) Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined Russia’s accelerating battlefield gains in Ukraine, denounced Kiev’s increasingly desperate threats to civilian aviation as a bid for “state terrorism,” and warned that British military facilities on Ukrainian soil would be “legitimate targets.” Speaking to reporters in Bishkek, Putin also addressed Moscow’s strikes on ships carrying weapons to Ukraine, contacts with US intelligence and Trump’s envoys, relations with Germany, and what he described as the West’s “sharks of imperialism.” Here are the key takeaways: ’The enemy will crumble’ Putin said Ukrainian forces are steadily losing ground, while cautioning against predicting exactly when a decisive turning point could come because “war is cruel and difficult to predict.” Russian troops are not merely advancing but “increasing the pace of the offensive,” he said, giving a brief rundown of developments across the front. Putin said Russian forces are approaching Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkovka, while claiming that roughly 5,000 Ukrainian troops have been physically encircled near the Krasnooskolskoye Reservoir. He also reported advances in Zaporozhye Region and toward Sumy. “I have no doubt that the enemy will ‘crumble.’ The question of timing is always very complicated.” The Russian president also rejected proposals merely to freeze the conflict along the current front line. “We don’t want to freeze it. We want to end the war and achieve a lasting, absolute peace – both in Ukraine and in Europe.” ’No negotiations with terrorists’ Asked about Vladimir Zelensky’s threat to civilian airlines using Russian airspace, Putin said the remarks amounted to “a bid for state terrorism,” contrasting them with Kiev’s simultaneous calls for “negotiations and personal meetings.” “You don’t negotiate with terrorists,” Putin said, warning that if attacks on civilian aircraft were actually carried out, Moscow would find a way to respond. Asked whether Ukrainian political and military leaders could become targets, Putin said Moscow has so far refrained from such strikes because it may ultimately need people on the Ukrainian side with whom to negotiate. “This is a bid for terrorism; it is not yet a transition to terrorism. If it comes to that, we will see how to respond. We will find the tools.” ’They hit ours – they’ll get an answer’ Putin said the Russian military has been ordered to prepare “massive strikes” against Ukrainian energy facilities in response to attacks on Russian civilian and fuel infrastructure. Ukrainian drones again attempted overnight to penetrate the air defenses of Moscow and St. Petersburg and strike three Russian oil refineries, but the attacks were repelled, according to the president. “They hit ours – they’ll get an answer. That’s roughly how things stand.” Putin also said a recent decree allowing temporary state management of poorly protected critical infrastructure was intended to force private companies and state agencies to cooperate more closely on defense against drone attacks, rejecting suggestions that it amounted to nationalization. ’Kiev opened Pandora’s box’ Putin stressed that Russia had not been attacking Ukrainian shipping at random, but had targeted only vessels that were bringing weapons or ammunition into Ukraine, arguing that secondary explosions following the attacks confirmed the nature of their cargoes. “We did carry out precision strikes on certain vessels, but they were genuinely selective.” The president said Moscow expanded its maritime response only after Zelensky launched his much-touted 40-day campaign against the Russian economy and logistics. According to Putin, Kiev failed to inflict any “critical damage” but hit around 100 vessels and killed several sailors, including foreign nationals. “You yourselves opened Pandora’s box – now take what comes.” Putin recalled that the original Black Sea grain initiative had been promoted as essential to averting hunger in developing countries, particularly in Africa. Yet, according to him, only around 0.2% of Ukrainian grain exported under the arrangement reached developing markets, while most went to comparatively wealthy European countries. CIA contacts and Trump’s ‘welcome guests’ Putin dismissed the idea that contacts between Russian and American intelligence chiefs were unusual, noting that such channels remained open even during the Cold War. He singled out Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, describing the Trump confidants as sincere interlocutors who have the US president’s trust. “Mr. Kushner and Witkoff are always welcome guests here, and we work with them with pleasure.” Moscow is open to additional participants in Ukraine talks if they can make a concrete contribution, Putin added, while warning against allowing diplomacy to revolve in a “meaningless mode.” British targets and a ‘military secret’ Putin confirmed that any British military facilities established on Ukrainian territory would be considered legitimate targets by Russian forces. “Any military facilities in Ukraine are our legitimate targets – British ones, any others.” Asked whether British military-industrial facilities inside the UK itself could become targets if British weapons were used to strike Russia, Putin declined to reveal where Moscow’s red lines lie. “That’s a secret. A military secret.” Germany just needs to ‘press the button’ Putin also rejected German accusations surrounding a drone incident in Leipzig, arguing that Berlin is invoking the threat of an “aggressive Russia” to distract from domestic political and economic problems. He recalled earlier accusations that Moscow had sabotaged its own Nord Stream pipelines, calling the allegation absurd given Russia’s interest in selling gas to Europe. Russia remains capable of supplying Germany with gas, he said. “They only need to press the button.” German leaders, however, lack the political will to do so because of US sanctions, Putin said, describing Berlin’s broader Russia policy as contrary to the interests of the German people. Western ‘sharks of imperialism’ Putin was also asked to explain a recent analogy involving orcas, polar bears and Russia’s confrontation with the West. He joked that comparing the collective West to an orca would be unfair to the animal, describing killer whales as intelligent creatures. Instead, he revived an old Soviet expression: “the sharks of imperialism.” “If someone tries to drag us down the food chain and gobble us up, they may get hit in the teeth. Russia is ready to do that, despite the rapidly growing appetites and teeth of these sharks.”