Putin accused Ukraine of derailing the peace talks
Vladimir Putin claimed that Ukraine is allegedly launching massive strikes against Russia and that its actions are hindering peace talks. He also claimed that Ukrainian attacks have allegedly damaged about 100 vessels, and that Russia has already “repaired” the damage. The Russian president made these statements on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has once again accused Ukraine of allegedly derailing peace talks. He also claimed that there have been massive attacks on Russian territory and attempted to portray Russia as the party that is supposedly ready to continue the negotiation process. Putin made these statements while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the 12th St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures, which is taking place September 24–26.
According to the Russian president, Moscow was allegedly ready to resume negotiations with Kyiv after the elections. However, Putin claims that Ukraine supposedly attempted to attack Moscow and polling stations. He also stated that Ukrainian forces allegedly carry out regular, massive strikes against Russia. At the same time, Putin claimed that the Russian side had already “recovered” from the damage that, according to him, was caused by these attacks.
Separately, the Russian president mentioned naval attacks. He claimed that Ukrainian strikes had allegedly damaged about 100 merchant ships over a 40-day period. According to him, the ships were damaged, not destroyed. Putin had previously made similar statements, claiming that sailors—including citizens of Azerbaijan and Turkey—had been killed as a result of the attacks.
At the same time, Putin had previously stated that Russia had not attacked civilian merchant ships. According to him, the Russian military struck only ships that were allegedly transporting weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. Speaking about the negotiations, Putin stated that all Russian proposals for a peaceful settlement supposedly remain “on the table.” At the same time, he added that Moscow still needs to determine what exactly is in its best interest. “All proposals for a peaceful settlement are on the table, but Russia still needs to consider what is in its best interest,” Putin said.
He also stated that “no provocations will improve Kyiv’s position.” Putin has made similar accusations before. In particular, in September, he claimed that the Ukrainian authorities were allegedly doing everything they could to prevent peace talks from taking place. In addition, Putin insisted that Russia is not preparing for war with Europe. According to him, there are neither motives nor grounds for such a conflict.
At the same time, he accused unnamed “aggressive circles in Europe” of allegedly wanting to use Ukraine as “cannon fodder” to curb Russia’s development. In his statements, Putin did not provide any independent evidence to support his accusations. Russian authorities regularly accuse Ukraine of derailing negotiations, while the Ukrainian side and its partners are calling on Moscow to agree to a cessation of hostilities and a continuation of diplomatic efforts.
In St. Petersburg on September 25, mobile internet service began to experience disruptions on the day of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled arrival. Users report that websites and apps are not loading, and only resources on the so-called “whitelists” are accessible.
