Annual press conference: Putin indicates willingness to compromise in Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his willingness to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. He was also prepared to make concessions, Putin said at his four-and-a-half-hour annual press conference in response to a question from the US broadcaster NBC. “Politics is the art of compromise.” He did not give details of possible compromises. At least he moved away from preconditions for talks.

At a meeting in the summer with the diplomatic corps, the Kremlin chief made the cession of the four Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia, which were annexed by Russia after the outbreak of war in 2022, one of the prerequisites for the start of talks. This time he said: “We have no conditions for negotiations with Ukraine.”

Russia maintains claims to Ukrainian territory

However, this does not mean giving up Russian claims. Talks should be based on the reality on the ground, i.e. the Russian conquests in Ukraine, Putin said. Russia has taken control of large territories in all four areas.

Putin also called for the Istanbul agreement to be used as a basis for a peace treaty. In Istanbul, shortly after the start of the Russian invasion, both warring parties negotiated conditions for its end. Ukraine should refrain from joining NATO and reduce its armed forces. But – contrary to what the Kremlin chief portrayed – it was not a finished paper and was unacceptable for Ukraine.

Putin appeared confident of victory in the question and answer session, which included citizens from different regions of the country, mostly about social problems. The economy is booming despite Western sanctions, and Russian troops are advancing along the entire front, said the 72-year-old. In terms of weapons, Russia is superior to Ukraine despite Western help.

Challenge to a duel with Oreshnik

Western anti-aircraft systems are helpless against the new Russian Oreshnik medium-range missile, he claimed. If the West doubts the effectiveness of the missile, it is welcome to designate a target in Kiev, protected by all available anti-aircraft weapons, that the Oreshnik should fire on.

Putin spoke of an “experiment, a high-tech duel of the 21st century.” The West could station all the anti-aircraft weapons and missile shields it has there. Then it will become clear whether they can stop the medium-range missile. Russia is ready for such an experiment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who appeared at a press conference in Brussels shortly after Putin’s TV marathon, sharply criticized the challenge to a missile duel in Kiev. “Do you think this person is still adequate? Simply a serious criminal,” he said.

Putin wants to demonstrate strength

For Putin, the main thing was to demonstrate strength to his own citizens, but also to the international press. He deliberately downplayed problems: inflation was high, he admitted. But Russia will get them under control. Economic experts see the danger of a massive slump in growth if price increases continue, a so-called stagflation in Russia.

When asked by a resident of the Kursk region when the people there would be able to return home, Putin, embarrassed to give a specific answer, simply replied: “Everything will be taken care of.” For four months now, Russian troops – which have also been supported by North Korean soldiers for several weeks – have not been able to decisively push back the Ukrainian military. He said he couldn’t give a date. But Putin assured us that the Ukrainians would definitely be expelled again.

Putin does not see Assad’s fall as his own defeat

Putin also did not want the fall and escape of his protégé Bashar al-Assad from Syria to be seen as a defeat for Russia. “You want to present the events in Syria as a defeat for Russia. I assure you, that is not the case,” Putin told a Western journalist.

“We went to Syria to prevent a terrorist enclave from emerging there. By and large, we achieved our goal. And the groups that were there have changed,” he said.

Putin also said that he sees Israel as the main beneficiary of the situation in Syria. At the same time, he warned of the country’s collapse in view of the occupation of Syrian areas. He also said that Israel and Turkey were currently settling security issues in their own countries in the civil war country. Assad and his family have received asylum in Russia from Putin. During the question and answer session, Putin announced a meeting with Assad.

Zelensky: Partners should not overestimate Putin

Ukrainian President Zelensky has called on his Western partners not to overestimate Russia and Kremlin leader Putin. “We see his weaknesses,” said Zelensky. “He’s only strong because he talks about nuclear weapons, because he shoots a lot of missiles.”

At the same time, Putin has all of his combat-capable troops in Ukraine, where he is making slow progress. Disclosing this was one reason for the Ukrainian summer offensive in the Kursk region of Russia, said Zelensky. “We wanted to show that his entire army is on our territory, and that whatever is left is not strong.”

Zelenskyj has also recently expressed his willingness to negotiate. However, Ukraine must be put in a position of strength in order to achieve a fair result, he demanded of its Western partners.