Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in St. Petersburg today that US President Donald Trump has asked Russia for certain compromises in order to reach a peace agreement on Ukraine, saying that Moscow is ready for them if Kiev does the same.
"I think Kyiv is not ready for compromises," Putin said.
He said that Russia has all the resources necessary to achieve its military goals and that its forces are advancing in Ukraine, but stressed that Moscow is also ready for a peaceful solution.
"Russia has all the resources to fulfill its military goals, and they are becoming stronger," Putin said.
According to him, Russian forces have recently occupied about 2.440 square kilometers in Ukraine, and more than 85 percent of the Donetsk region is under Russian control.
"We are opposed to the European Union becoming a military bloc. This is a cause for concern," Putin said.
Putin also said that Russia must further strengthen its air defense system, acknowledging that some Ukrainian drones manage to penetrate Russian territory.
"We need to strengthen our air defense system. Unfortunately, some Ukrainian drones are passing through to Russia," he said.
Speaking about weapons, Putin assessed that Ukraine lacks cruise missiles and other assets that Russia has at its disposal.
The Russian president also said that Moscow has not yet used the Oreshnik hypersonic missile against Ukraine in real combat conditions, but has only tested it to see the results.
According to him, this was important in order to make decisions about the possible future wider use of the system, including against urban targets.
The Oreshnik, which Russia first fired at Ukraine in 2024, is a nuclear-capable missile with a range of more than 5.000 kilometers. Putin has previously claimed that it is uninterceptable, a claim that has been questioned by Western experts.
Speaking about the role of the European Union, Putin said that the EU cannot be a mediator in the negotiations, but that it can help. He also assessed that the EU could play a positive role if it could convince Ukraine to agree to a compromise.
At the same time, he said that Moscow opposes turning the EU into a military bloc.
"We are opposed to the European Union becoming a military bloc. This is a cause for concern," Putin said.
The Russian president added that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could be a trusted person to mediate between Russia and Europe.
"Who else, if not Schroeder, can be a mediator?" Putin said.
He stated that Schroeder is not his friend, but a German statesman who has his own views and is ready to defend them. Putin added that Moscow is not trying to dictate to Europe who it should choose for talks with Russia.
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