🇷🇺 In a series of statements today, President Vladimir Putin signaled openness to negotiations with Ukraine, while pushing back against Western narratives of Russian aggression.
Key points from Putin’s address:
• Russia and Ukraine are in operational contact, and prisoner exchanges are ongoing.
• Putin says Moscow is ready for new negotiations in Istanbul, thanking Turkey’s President Erdogan for his mediation.
• Russia has offered to return 3,000 more bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.
• Putin stressed that Russia wants to complete its “special operation” with results that serve Russian interests, not aggression toward Europe.
• He defended Russia’s 6.3% GDP defense spending, promising it would decrease in the future.
• On NATO concerns, he mocked Western claims: “If everything is falling apart for us, why would we attack NATO?”
• Putin praised Trump, saying he has “great respect” for him.
• He also noted American businesses want to return to Russia, hinting at future U.S.–Russia economic ties.
This series of statements reflects both a desire to project strength and a tactical openness to dialogue, with Moscow attempting to reframe its international image amidst economic pressures and battlefield challenges.
