Putin: China, Brazil, and India Can Mediate Peace Talks with Ukraine

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, stated that China, Brazil, and India could mediate peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking at a Russian-backed economic forum in Vladivostok on Thursday, September 6, he mentioned that the initial agreement reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators during the early weeks of the war in Istanbul, which was never implemented, could serve as a basis for future potential talks. Putin added that Russia has not 'rejected' negotiations with Ukraine, but emphasized that these talks must be based on documented agreements. These remarks come amid a significant increase in Russian attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, following Ukrainian forces' successful infiltration into the Kursk region of Russia near the border with Ukraine. Regarding Ukraine's incursion into this area with weaponry largely supplied by the West, Putin commented that Kyiv has 'weakened itself by transferring large, trained units to Russia, allowing Russia to accelerate its attack in the east of the country.' He asserted that it is Russia's 'sacred duty' to expel the invaders and that Russian forces have begun to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk. On the same day, Putin stated that Ukraine's attack on Kursk was aimed at 'slowing down Russia's advance in Donbas,' but this attack failed, as Kyiv simply weakened its forces along the rest of the front. He described the targeting of the Kursk and Zaporizhia nuclear power plants 'by Ukrainian forces' as a 'very dangerous terrorist act' and warned of its consequences. Ukraine has denied targeting these power plants. The Zaporizhia plant is located in southern Ukraine but has been under Russian control since the early months of its military invasion. In another part of his remarks on Thursday, Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow intends to continue gas transit through Ukraine to the European Union. However, he added, 'Moscow cannot force Kyiv to maintain the transit contract that expires at the end of this year.' Putin emphasized that major Gazprom consumers in Europe, despite providing military assistance to Ukraine, 'do not seem to be demanding an end to the gas transit contract to this region via Ukraine.' Bloomberg reported in February 2024 that several officials indicated the European Union is preparing not to renew the gas transit contract from Russia through Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has not taken a clear stance on the future of Russian gas transit through the country but has expressed a lack of desire to continue this arrangement, despite earning $1.5 billion annually from Russian gas transit to the EU. Before Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU received 175 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually through pipelines, half of which passed through Ukraine. In another part of his remarks on Thursday, the Russian president made seemingly ironic comments expressing a desire for Kamala Harris to win the U.S. presidential election. Putin referred to what he called Harris's 'infectious laugh' as a reason for preferring the Democrat-supported candidate over Republican Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly mocked Harris's laugh over the past month, a behavior many in the U.S. have described as 'sexist.' His remarks came a day after the U.S. Department of Justice accused two employees of the Russian media outlet RT of attempting to influence the upcoming November elections through the dissemination of false information. The FBI also announced it was seizing dozens of internet domains used by the Kremlin to spread misinformation. On Thursday, Putin characterized the U.S. presidential elections as a 'choice' of the American people, but claimed that just as Joe Biden has urged his supporters to back Harris, Moscow would also support her. Putin stated, 'She laughs so clearly and infectiously that it means everything is fine and under control.' Experts and U.S. intelligence assessments suggest that due to Trump's lesser commitment to supporting Ukraine, Moscow is more inclined toward a Trump victory in the elections.