Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during a meeting with government officials that Russia is ready to participate in peace negotiations with Ukraine based on the agreements reached in Istanbul.
Specifically, Putin said:
“Moscow, as has been repeatedly stated, is ready for peace negotiations with Ukraine, ready on the basis of the agreements reached in Istanbul.”
According to the Russian president, these agreements were discussed during negotiations held in Istanbul and were accepted by the Ukrainian side at that time.
“I see no reason to deviate from those agreements,” he added.
Earlier, Putin also claimed that Ukraine is attacking civilian infrastructure in Russia in an effort to destabilize Russian society.
According to his remarks, Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries have doubled since the beginning of 2026, leading to long queues and higher gasoline prices in some regions. Kyiv has previously stated that its objective is to weaken a key source of funding for Russia’s war effort and to demonstrate to Russians that the conflict is no longer something distant.
Speaking to graduates of military and security-service academies, Putin further said that he sees no basis for direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy given what he described as Kyiv’s attacks on civilian targets.
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