Putin on talks and attacks Vremya’s full press answer

Sep 25

Vremya’s Anastasia Kobazeva carries Putin’s answer about resuming negotiations after the Duma election. He alleges a major Moscow-area drone raid and attacks on election officials, recalls the St. Petersburg harbor strike, refinery campaign and maritime attacks and claims Russian retaliation prompted renewed Ukrainian ceasefire requests. He says contacts remain possible but decisions will follow Russian interests. Attack totals, claimed motives and accounts of damage and repair remain Putin’s assertions, distinct from an agreed date or venue for talks.

Answering reporters after the September 25 United Cultures Forum, Vladimir Putin says renewed negotiations and partial ceasefires remain possible but sets no date or venue and makes no acceptance announcement. Asked when Russia–U.S.–Ukraine talks might resume after the Duma election, he says Ukraine had signaled readiness before voting, then alleges attacks toward Moscow, on election workers, St. Petersburg's port, refineries, shipping and commercial warehouses. He attributes renewed Ukrainian interest in energy, air and Black Sea restraint to damaging Russian retaliation, and says decisions will follow Russian interests. These explanations, attack figures and claims about the effectiveness of Geran drones are Putin's account, not independently established findings. The correspondent recalls a February 17 round and attributes the subsequent pause chiefly to the Middle East conflict. Oman TV's October 2 brief reprises his claim that election-period Ukrainian drone attacks made resuming talks harder, including his Moscow drone figure and polling-station allegations. This is an attributed synopsis of the September 25 answer, not evidence of a new October 2 statement or a newly agreed negotiating round.