Vladimir Putin addressed all open issues concerning Russia’s international relations while speaking to journalists covering the economic forum held in St. Petersburg.

He claimed, among other things, that if Ukraine agrees to the “compromise we agreed in Anchorage” (referring to his meeting in Alaska in August 2025 with Donald Trump), then “the conflict will naturally die down very quickly.”

He also stated that “there is no doubt we are ready” and that “we want to reach an agreement with Ukraine through peaceful means, based on the foundations we discussed with President Trump in Anchorage.”

In response to a question from the Associated Press about the war in Ukraine and how it is affecting Russia, the Russian president said that Russia could take control of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and conclude a peace agreement if it wishes. “The two do not contradict each other,” he clarified.

Regarding battlefield developments, Putin claimed that Russian forces are advancing “along the entire line of contact,” and that they have recently captured “about 2,440 square kilometers” of territory. Sky News notes that this contradicts what analysts observe on the battlefield.

Putin further said that Kyiv’s problem is a “catastrophic shortage of personnel.” “Recently, their numbers decreased by 100,000 people,” he said, again without providing details.

“Each month they lose about 10,000 people, while about 20,000 are deserters. So far this year, the number of deserters has reached 60,000,” he claimed.

When asked about the possibility of European countries participating in future peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian president said that “participating in negotiations is one thing, being a mediator is another.”

He also asked, “How can the European Union or individual EU countries be mediators if they directly support the efforts of the country we are in open armed conflict with? They are directly involved in this conflict.” “If you want to be a mediator, you must be neutral,” he said.

Meanwhile, before a reporter from the German news agency DPA could ask his question, the Russian coordinator of the press conference asked whether it was true that his country was “preparing for war, or is it just that we see it that way?” Putin interrupted him and, laughing, said: “You don’t need to answer, because this is not an interrogation.”