Putin's Post-CSTO Summit Presser from Kyrgyzstan

An hour-long encounter.

Putin taking questions from mostly Russian media.

What national leader takes notes during a press conference? Putin clearly does.

Putin has finished his state visit to Kyrgyzstan and attended the CSTO Summit that was held there and stands behind his portable lectern to converse with Russian media for about an hour. There’s a video of the encounter at the link. I’m very busy as family chef today as I prepare a roast crown of pork using a German recipe for our gathering this afternoon meaning I will not provide any emphasis or comment at this time to the important passages that follow:

V. Putin: Good evening!

I am at your disposal.

At the beginning, I would like to say that we are grateful to the leadership of Kyrgyzstan for organizing this work and for the entire year that Kyrgyzstan has been leading the CSTO, holding various events, which has undoubtedly contributed to the strengthening of the organization.

In my opinion, in today’s turbulent conditions, this is an important element of stability in our common space. It is important for Russia, and it is of great significance for many CSTO countries.

We have agreed on everything without any problems – all the decisions proposed by the Secretariat. As you know, everything has been signed, and there have been almost no disputes in any area. Everyone understands that we need to work more closely together in today’s environment. We are not threatening anyone, but we must be prepared to respond to any aggressive actions against our countries.

And there are many other areas of work. We’ll probably talk about this more later. The practical work has been established, and it is progressing in these important areas.

And in general, first of all, we can state that the result is there. And secondly, I see good prospects for developing our cooperation within the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

As you know, Russia is now the chair of the CSTO, and we will continue to hold this position for the next year. I outlined our priorities for the chairmanship during the extended meeting. I believe that you are aware of this, and there is no need to repeat it. However, we highly appreciate the results of our joint efforts.

Thank you.

If you have any questions, which you probably do, please let me know and I will try to answer them.

P. Minakov: Hello!

Interfax Agency. The question is about our priorities. We are the chair, and the slogan is collective security in a multipolar world. Why will this be our motto during our chairmanship? Perhaps we should focus on our priorities when we take over the chair.

The second question is also related to collective security. Prime Minister [of Armenia, Nikol] Pashinyan has once again refused to attend the summit, while Armenia is conducting joint exercises with the United States. The question is whether this poses a threat to the unity of the CSTO’s collective security framework.

Thank you.

V.Putin: The priorities, I repeat, were outlined by me during the extended meeting. It was open, you were probably there, in any case, many of you heard all this.

There are many priorities: improving our cooperation, comparing the capabilities of the countries’ defense and industrial sectors. Since the Soviet Union, we have known that cooperation was very deep. We provide preferential conditions for the purchase of our weapons and equipment for the CSTO countries. All of this is working quite effectively.

Yes, it’s clear, well, it’s clear that in the context of a special military operation, our capabilities are not as great as they could be, because... well, they are great, but we need to meet our needs. We are doing this in some areas, and we are doing it fully.

I don’t think that our production capacity is over-sized, but still, we are not only meeting our [needs], but even for export we still supply, by the way. This applies primarily to aviation equipment: both airplanes and helicopters. And now, of course, we have done a lot – I think we can just say that this is a revolution for us – in the field of unmanned vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs. We are ready to share all this with our partners.

Another area of joint work is to improve the work of the CSTO management bodies. This is a bureaucratic task, but it is still important. Each country is interested in minimizing costs and increasing the efficiency of cooperation.

We will continue to hold joint exercises in all areas, as we have done in the past. This applies not only to military cooperation, but also to the work of special services.

Unfortunately, the drug threat and organized crime have not gone away. We will keep an eye on all of this, and we intend to continue what our colleagues in Kyrgyzstan have done. I have already mentioned this. We will ensure full continuity. I am confident that this will benefit each of the CSTO member states.

As for Armenia’s position, it is also well-known. As our Armenian colleagues have told us, they say, “We support all decisions made by the CSTO, and we consider ourselves members of the CSTO, but at this stage, we are refraining from participating in the meetings of this organization.” This is their choice. Therefore, if they believe it is possible to work this way for now, then fine, we agree.

Since they are members of the organization, we are in contact with them, Russia. As the state that is currently leading the work within the CSTO, we will, of course, be in constant contact with them as members of this organization. Naturally, we will work out and coordinate the decisions that we will prepare for each of our priorities with them. Please, what else?

Please tell me what else.

L. Kitar: Vladimir Vladimirovich!

Leonid Kitar, Izvestia Information and Publishing Center. Question about bilateral relations with Kyrgyzstan.

We have quite a few projects, including in the energy sector. This year, Rosatom announced that it was ready to build a small-capacity nuclear power plant in the country. Has this been discussed? Are there any specific figures? And what do you see as the most promising areas for bilateral relations?

And there’s a small nuance here. Not so long ago, there were problems with cargo crossing between Kazakhstan and Russia. Are there any such problems here?

V. Putin: I will start with bilateral cooperation.

I am grateful to the President of Kyrgyzstan for his invitation to visit Kyrgyzstan on a high-level diplomatic visit, and for the attention he has shown to our delegation.

I would like to mention what we discussed at the meeting with the media after the visit. Indeed, relations are developing in a very positive way, and our investors are becoming more and more active in the Kyrgyz market. Why is this happening? I have already mentioned this briefly, but it is very important: this is also due to the fact that the current leadership of Kyrgyzstan is able to ensure a stable domestic political situation. This is always crucial for potential investors, as they rely on the country receiving these investments to fulfill its obligations. This is one of the most important issues. The Kyrgyz leadership is able to do this. We wish them every success in strengthening the domestic political situation, and as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, we will support and assist them in this endeavor.

Our relations are developing along very many lines, in addition to the investment direction: this includes the mining industry, as well as the energy sector. Let me remind you that Kyrgyzstan receives all our resources at the lowest prices and without collecting the corresponding export customs duties. Of course, this makes our products very competitive in the Kyrgyz markets, to put it mildly, and is a good help for the Kyrgyz economy. This includes both oil and gas, but we are not limited to this, and we may have plans to build low-capacity nuclear power plants.

Let me remind you once again: Russia is the only country in the world that carries out such projects. Many people say that they would be willing to do this, but so far only we are doing it. And if Kyrgyzstan makes this decision – our colleagues are in contact with each other here – we will implement these projects.

We are also developing high-tech sectors through bilateral cooperation. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Yandex is working here, and it is becoming more and more active. I hope that this will continue, as Yandex is not only involved in food delivery, transportation, and taxi services, but is also actively developing artificial intelligence. This is an extremely important and promising area for all of us. Although Kyrgyzstan is a small country, it has a well-educated population with promising young people. And it is important for us to create a single space in this extremely promising area. And we will, of course, work here as well.

It is very important for both us and Kyrgyzstan to ensure that Russia’s migration policy is reliable and protects the interests of the indigenous people of the Russian Federation, our citizens, and our economy. It is also important that the citizens of Kyrgyzstan who come to Russia are prepared for this, including their knowledge of the Russian language from a young age, starting from school and beyond.

In this regard, as you know, we are helping the Kyrgyz leadership to develop the study of the Russian language. We will open schools here, and we will work in the field of higher education. In general, there is a very large area of joint work. In Kyrgyzstan, as you know, the Russian language has the status of an official language at the legislative level, and we greatly appreciate this. We will continue to work in all these areas.

Regarding the cargo. Yes, indeed, there is such a problem. What is the problem? The problem is that, I will not hide, on my instructions, the Customs Committee – within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, our customs authorities have the right to take such actions – has begun to organize selective checks on the roads, so to speak. It has been revealed that a significant number of goods, a significant number of these trucks, as you say, are crossing the Russian-Kazakh border without any documents at all.

Yes, we have a common customs area, a common market, and free movement of capital and goods. However, each truck and trailer must have a specific set of documents that have been agreed upon between our countries. There are not many of these documents, but they must be present.

It should be a paper, a document about what is in this truck, and at least it should be clear to which recipient this product is moving. From the first document, it is clear what customs value, what customs fee should be paid by the one who crosses our border with this product and who should pay VAT upon receipt of this product. As soon as the checks on the roads began, it became clear that there were no documents at all. It’s just black import, and I’m sorry for the mauvais ton, it’s just coming into our customs territory. The Russian Federation is missing out on billions, tens of billions of rubles in our budget.

Of course, I have informed my colleagues. We have discussed this issue with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and he understands the situation. We have agreed to do everything possible to ensure that the large number of trucks currently parked on our border in Kazakhstan can move to the Russian Federation.

Our customs authorities have agreed among themselves that the value of the goods being transported will be declared, and the final recipient will be specified. Gradually, we will allow these trucks to pass through. There will be no queue. Yes, this will be almost within the framework of the green corridor, at a minimum cost, so they can at least pay something to start. Starting next year, our customs will require all necessary documents during random inspections. However, if they do not have these documents, they will not be sent back. I think the customs will come to an agreement among themselves, probably up to and including confiscation.

You see, there’s everything in that truck, from nails to diamonds and TVs. But at least let them record the shoelaces for five kopecks, let them start paying something, let them declare the final recipient so that we can receive the VAT, even if it’s small. We just need to bring order to the situation.

Thousands of trucks have already passed through there. I don’t think there will be a queue by the end of the year.

P. Zarubin: Good evening!

Pavel Zarubin, Russia TV channel. The main global topic of the past few days has been Trump’s peace plan. We have a lot of questions for you.

To what extent does the draft that was initially published take into account our position? Have we received a revised version of the document after the negotiations between the United States and Ukraine? When will the Russian-American negotiations begin, which we have heard are not being conducted regarding this document? When will Steve Whitkoff visit you? What are your current thoughts on the prospects for a peaceful resolution?

Thank you.

V.Putin: Regarding the draft treaty: there were no draft treaties, there was a set of issues that were proposed to be discussed and formulated definitively. In general, I have already spoken about this many times, we discussed it with the American negotiators before my visit to the United States and before my visit to Alaska, and after that, a list of possible agreements consisting of 28 points was created. As I have already announced publicly, this list was provided to us through certain channels, and we have reviewed it.

After that, negotiations were held in Geneva between the American delegation and the Ukrainian delegation. As I understand it, they decided among themselves that all 28 points should be divided into four separate components. And this was all passed on to us.

In general, we agree that this can be the basis for future agreements. However, it would be impolite of me to talk about any final options right now, as there are none.

Some things are of a fundamental nature, and in general, we see that the American side takes into account our position, which was discussed before Anchorage and after Alaska. In some cases, we definitely need to sit down and seriously discuss specific issues, and we need to put everything into diplomatic terms. Because it’s one thing to say that Russia doesn’t intend to attack Europe. It sounds ridiculous to us, doesn’t it? We never intended to do so. But if they want to hear it from us, let’s record it, no problem.

It’s just that there are people there, and I think they’re a little bit crazy, or they’re some kind of crooks, and they want to get something out of it when they publicly tell their population, their citizens, that Russia is preparing to attack Europe and that we need to immediately strengthen our defense capabilities. Either they’re serving the interests of the defense industry and private companies, or they’re trying to boost their domestic political ratings in light of the dire state of the economy and social sphere. It’s hard to say what they’re guided by, but from our point of view, this is complete nonsense, a blatant lie. However, if this has been promoted in the public consciousness, if they have frightened their citizens and they want to hear that we have no aggressive plans towards Europe, please, we are ready to record this in any way you prefer.

Maybe there is some sense in this, I mean, if we want to talk and discuss together and put some points on the map in terms of pan-European security. Maybe, yes, we have proposed this ourselves at some point. If our Western – let’s call them “partners” again – want this now, please, we are ready. But we both understand that this needs to be discussed seriously, and every word counts.

Or, for example, one of the documents mentions that we should resolve the issue of strategic stability together with our American partners. For God’s sake, are we against it? We have already proposed this, and we also suggested that the Obama administration negotiate on certain issues, but they said “yes” and then everything got stuck a month before the Obama administration left the White House. Now, we are approaching the end of another treaty, the New START Treaty, which will expire in February. If they don’t want to do anything, then let them.

But from these papers, we can see that there is a general desire to return to these issues. However, each of these issues is a separate and very serious matter. We are certainly ready for this serious discussion. The American delegation is scheduled to visit Moscow next week.

O. Matveeva: Olga Matveeva, Mayak and Vesti-FM radio stations.

In response to a colleague’s question, please tell us who will be the main negotiators on the Russian side.

And another thing: there have been reports of negotiations in Abu Dhabi – is there a parallel process going on there? And can you tell us who is talking to whom and what is happening there? Thank you.

V. Putin: Who is the negotiator on the Russian side, it is obvious – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When we really sit down at the negotiating table and discuss each of the proposed items in detail and seriously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – on our side, on the side of the Administration – this is Medinsky Vladimir Rostislavovich, the President’s Assistant, he has been dealing with this from the very beginning. For current affairs, in order to organize all this work, I have also included my assistant Yuri Viktorovich Ushakov in the work, he is in contact with his American colleagues. But he can’t do it all by himself; it’s up to the Foreign Ministry and, to some extent, the Presidential Administration. It’s a large, very large set of issues that need to be discussed, documented, and properly spelled out.

So that’s how I think. I don’t think, but it’s never done any other way.

As for Abu Dhabi, yes, I’ve heard some information about this issue. However, nothing unusual or secret has happened there. Our intelligence agencies, both Russian and Ukrainian, have always been in contact with each other, even during the most challenging times. And they are still in contact. What are they doing? They are working on a number of humanitarian issues, primarily related to the exchange of prisoners of war. Abu Dhabi is actively involved in this process. We are very grateful to the President of the United Arab Emirates for the opportunities he has provided us with. Thanks to his efforts, many hundreds of our guys, our heroes, have returned home.

At the initiative of the Ukrainian side, such a meeting was scheduled and took place in Abu Dhabi. One of the Russian FSB leaders was present on our side. A representative of the US administration also attended the meeting. This was somewhat unexpected for us, but we never refuse to engage in contact. I reached out to the Russian representative and suggested that instead of waiting until next week to continue our discussions, we could hold a meeting in Moscow this week.

I only found out about this when the plane landed in Bishkek, but I said that we were ready, please, at any time. The issue is so important for everyone and for us that we can come at any time of the day or night – we can arrive tonight and return tomorrow, or we can come on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, whenever they want. However, we have agreed that we will decide, and the US President’s administration will decide who should come and when.

The latest information was brought to my attention yesterday, that President Trump has made a decision that, after all, as previously agreed, and there was such an agreement, the meeting is proposed by the American side in Moscow next week. Please, we are always open.

And who will represent the United States, on the American side, of course, has to be determined by the President of the United States. Therefore, we are waiting for them in the first half of next week.

A. Kolesnikov: Andrey Kolesnikov, Kommersant newspaper.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, will you stand on the fact that the territorial issue, primarily in the Donbas, should be resolved here and now and once and for all? Or would you agree to postpone it, so to speak, until better times? If you don’t mind, I have another question: Would you agree to return to the G7, the world’s “eight,” as one of the options for a peaceful settlement plan suggests, which includes all these people?

V. Putin: As for the G7 or the G8, we didn’t ask to be invited there, we were invited once, and we worked there. It’s a platform for coordinating certain positions. I must say, you know, I stopped going there even before the tragic events in Ukraine. Have you noticed?

Remark: Yes, very much.

V.Putin: Therefore, when the events in Ukraine began, they said: well, we don’t expect you there. Well, thank God. And we went there... I don’t remember who, but I think the Prime Minister went there once. I refused the first time, because, indeed, I’m not making this up, it happened at the time of the formation of the Government after the President’s election, I think in 2012. But we never refuse to engage in contacts, we are always open to cooperation. First of all, no one has invited us here, and I have not heard or received any official offers. Secondly, we know that the vast majority of the members of this association, the so-called G7, are smaller in terms of territory, population, and contribution to global GDP. However, they are still important partners for us. In today’s situation, I don’t really see how we can interact with them directly. Can you imagine it? Well, we’ll just show up, say “hi,” and glare at each other, right?

I think that this should lead to some kind of normalization. Maybe if we implement all these proposals that we have received as part of the list that was given to us by the American Administration, maybe there will be some conditions for bilateral or multilateral contacts, but it is too early to talk about this.

A. Kolesnikov: And the second question was...

V.Putin: You understand ‒ I will tell you very briefly now, I think it will be clear at once what I am talking about ‒ we still get requests to stop the fighting there, there, there… The Ukrainian troops will leave the territories they occupy, and that will be the end of the fighting. If they don’t leave, we will achieve this by force. That’s all.

E. Zhelbunov: Edmund Zhelbunov, NTV TV Company.

A question about the progress of a special military operation.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, is there still a positive trend on the fronts? If so, in which areas is there the most active progress? Thank you.

V. Putin: There is a positive trend in all areas. Moreover, the pace of our troops’ advance in these areas is increasing, and it is increasing significantly. I don’t want to make any mistakes about the number of kilometers, but from month to month, the number of territories returned by our troops in all major areas is increasing. In other words, the pace of our troops’ advance is increasing.

But the biggest problem for the enemy is that they have a growing gap between the number of casualties and the number of troops they can send to the front line. In October, I think they had more than 47,000 casualties, 47,500. They mobilized around 16,500 troops and returned around 14,500 or 15,000 from hospitals. But if you calculate everything exactly, with tenths of a percent, the difference is 15,000, and in the previous month it was 10,000, so the gap is constantly increasing.

And we also need to add the number of deserters. The number of deserters is very high, and this can be seen not only in our media and the Ministry of Defense’s reports, but also in the Western media. It is almost impossible to stop this.

The dynamics are positive in all areas.

E. Piskunov: Egor Piskunov, RT TV channel.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, have you heard about the leaks of telephone conversations between Yuri Ushakov, Steve Whitkoff, and Kirill Dmitriev? What do you think about this? In the West, this is a very heated scandal, especially in many Western media outlets. Whitkoff is currently under attack. What do you think about this? Thank you.

V.Putin: You know, as for the leaks, it may be some kind of fake, or it may be a conversation that was overheard. In fact, it is a criminal offense to eavesdrop, at least in our country. Then, some of them, as we say, may have been put in charge of spying, but they ended up eavesdropping. Let them focus on their own tasks. However, spying requires skill.

I’ll explain what I mean. I don’t know the essence of these wiretaps, the essence of these drains. You understand, you see that we get up here in the morning and work from morning to night, and I came to you immediately after all the events were over. What, in my opinion, is the problem there by and large? It’s not about us ‒ it’s about how different opinions are fighting in the collective West and in the United States itself about what is happening and what needs to be done in order to stop the war, to stop the fighting.

We met with Mr. Whitcoff before Anchorage, and then I visited Alaska, and certain negotiations were held. In general, I want to emphasize, in general, I have an opinion, at least: we had an understanding of where we were and what should be done to stop these hostilities.

Then we went our separate ways, because both my colleague President Trump and I said that we needed to go back to our respective capitals, think about it, consult with our respective staffs, our respective ministries, our respective agencies, and our respective allies. And then we agreed to continue.

Lavrov and Rubio met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and they had a general conversation. There was no conflict between Russia and the United States on these issues, and we remained on the Anchorage platform. Suddenly, the United States announced sanctions against two of our oil companies. Why? To be honest, I didn’t understand what was happening.

Therefore, there is nothing to accuse Mr. Whitkoff of being too kind to his Russian colleagues. We talked with him, met, met, I repeat, in Alaska, and then boom-with the new relations emerging in full health, sanctions are being imposed, which destroy our relations, of course. And in fact, in general, I repeat, it is not clear to us what kind of sign this is. This is the first one.

Second. Mr. Whitcoff is apparently on his way to Moscow on behalf of President Trump in order to negotiate with us. But it would be surprising if he had cursed us with obscene language in his conversations with Ushakov, said something extremely unfriendly, and then came and tried to establish relations with us in order to improve his negotiating position. But this is absurd! I’m not even going to mention that Mr. Whitcoff seems to be an intelligent person, and he should create some conditions for interpersonal communication, which is understandable.

And finally, the most important thing. After all, I have known Mr. Whitcoff for several months. His friendship with President Trump has been going on for many, many years, or perhaps even decades. He is an American citizen who defends the position of his President and his country. Yes, we have a dialogue, and it is not an easy one. Yes, we engage in this dialogue without swearing or spitting at each other, like intelligent people, but each of us defends our own position. And Mr. Whitcoff is defending the position, I repeat, of the United States and the interests of the United States as he sees them and as they are seen by the people who have delegated him to negotiate with Russia. These people are not only President Trump, but I believe they also include members of the military, diplomatic, and administrative communities in the United States.

E. Mukhametshina: Vedomosti newspaper.

There is a lot of talk in Europe about the confiscation of Russian assets. I wanted to ask you what Russia’s response to this will be. And do you agree with Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, who said that the confiscation could lead to legal battles, multiple lawsuits, and the collapse of the euro?

V.Putin: Hungary is a member of the EU, and therefore the Prime Minister of one of the EU countries will have a better understanding of how this could affect the European currency. It is clear that this will have negative consequences for the global financial system, as confidence in the Eurozone will plummet. Given the current economic challenges, with the German economy, the driving force of the European economy, in recession for the third year in a row, this will undoubtedly pose a significant challenge.

On my instructions, the Government of the Russian Federation is developing a package of retaliatory measures in the event that this happens. It is clear to everyone, and everyone is talking about it directly, that this would be theft of someone else’s property. In this regard, of course, I have a question: who is teaching whom? Is it the corrupt Ukrainian elite, who are stealing the money of their own taxpayers and the taxpayers of their Western sponsors, as we are well aware of the corruption scandal in Kiev, or are they learning from the Europeans, or are the Europeans learning from the Ukrainian elite? In any case, both are theft. This is how we feel about it and we are preparing retaliatory measures, but what are they? ‒ The government will make it public later if this happens.

A. Vernitsky: Anton Vernitsky, Channel One.

After Donald Trump allowed the United States to test nuclear weapons, you instructed the Security Council to consider the feasibility of Russia testing nuclear weapons. Is there a final decision? If so, what is it? If not, when might it be made? Thank you.

V.Putin: I have instructed to collect additional information on the actions of the American side, to analyse it and to submit to me proposals on what we should do in this situation. One of the proposals that has been made to us is precisely to work together on this topic, as we see it. And we are ready to think together with the American Administration on all issues related to strategic stability.

A. Vernitsky: Could this happen at the next round of negotiations in Moscow next week?

V.Putin: Yes, if it comes up. Actually, even if it doesn’t come up, we will certainly raise this issue, because, of course, both the United States and we understand that preparing for real nuclear weapons tests takes time. And we certainly don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where the United States tests it, while we still have a year and a half to prepare. Of course, we need to consider this. It’s not our decision, but we need to be prepared for any outcome. And I assure you, we will be ready.

A. Yunashev: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich! Alexander Yunashev, Live.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov is not with you on this trip...

V. Putin: Have you missed me?

A. Yunashev: A little. Although he is not on vacation, he has not appeared at your international visits for two weeks. The media is reporting that he has fallen out of favor allegedly for a bad conversation with Rubio. What do you have to say?

V.Putin: This is nonsense. He has not fallen into any disgrace. He has his own work schedule, he reported to me, said what he would do, at what time, and he is doing it. He is preparing for a meeting with American partners.

A. Savinykh: Vladimir Vladimirovich, TASS news agency.

Let me return to the peace plan. It seems that the Western side, by offering such quick, hasty meetings and insisting on them, is putting a bit of pressure on Russia and on you in particular. It is understandable that everyone wants to achieve peace as quickly as possible, but it seems that such matters should not be rushed.

In your opinion, is there a risk that if the contract is hastily drawn up, it will be interpreted loosely in the future? And you just said that every word needs to be discussed. How long will it take?

V.Putin: I have specifically drawn your attention to the fact that each of the issues outlined in the lists that have been handed over to us is of very important [significance], each of them is a key topic, do you understand? Therefore, this requires serious consideration. And perhaps some of our partners are eager to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. Why? My colleagues have asked me about what is happening on the line of contact, and they have asked about the position of the American negotiators. So, what is happening? Let’s take Kupyansk, for example. Let’s start with the area of responsibility of our “Center” group: where are the main events taking place? In the Krasnoarmeysk direction and around the city of Dimitrov. Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov are completely surrounded, just like Kupyansk was at one time. 70 percent of the territory of Krasnoarmeysk is in the hands of the Russian Armed Forces. In the south of the city of Dimitrov, the enemy group has been cut off, and it is being dispersed throughout the city, and our troops are now systematically destroying it.

And then what? If you look at the map, if you look at the map to the east, to the north-east, there is Komsomolsk, and to the north of Komsomolsk is Kupyansk and Slavyansk; and even further north, to the north-east, is Seversk. There are ongoing battles in Komsomolsk, inside the city, and a significant number of buildings have already been liberated by our troops, and the advance is continuing.

As for Seversk, which is located to the north-east, our troops have approached the city from the east, south, and north. There is active fighting in the city, and I believe that out of the eight thousand buildings, 1,700 are in our hands. If we have approached the city from the north, south, and east, you can imagine what is happening there. This is a very difficult situation for the Ukrainian side and the Ukrainian armed forces.

If you look to the north, the city of Seversk: out of eight thousand buildings, 1,700 are occupied. And if you look further to the north, where the North group is operating, Volchansk is almost completely in our hands, on the Kharkiv front.

Now, look at what is happening in the Zaporizhzhia region. In the Zaporizhzhia region, the enemy has built a fortified area over the past 10 years, starting in 2014, and then reinforced it. This fortified area is being defended by our Dnipro group, and our Dnipro group is working hard to break through the enemy’s defenses in key areas. But this is not even the case, but the fact is that our other group, Vostok, has broken through the enemy’s defenses and is moving rapidly in the north of the Zaporozhye region, on the border of the Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk regions, and is moving, I repeat, very rapidly, we have already reached the city of Gulyai-Pole ‒ this is an important logistics point-one and a half to two kilometers away. Whether they take it now, in the near future, or not, they will definitely go further.

What does this mean? It means that the Vostok group’s troops are practically bypassing the entire fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the north. On one side, they are facing our Dnepr group, while the Vostok group is bypassing them from the north. This could lead to a collapse of the front in this area.

This is where the differences lie between those in the West who want to achieve peace as quickly as possible, even at the cost of some mutual concessions, including on the Ukrainian side. Because if everything that happened in Kupyansk happens in the areas I have mentioned, then the front will be forced to retreat.

Someone wants to believe that the same Kupiansk... On November 4, I would like to remind you, the head of the Kiev regime said that it would be in the hands of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in five to seven days ‒ now, as we know, the enemy group there has been completely eliminated, the city is completely in our hands, and 15 more battalions are blocked on the left bank of the Oskol River, which is 3,500 people, and some of our commanders say that some of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this area already look like homeless people. This is not a joke. Can you imagine 3,500 people being bombarded by copters ‒ food, wearable uniforms, ammunition ‒ it’s impossible. They’ve been in this state for, I don’t know, weeks. They’re practically closed now.

Those in the West who understand what this could lead to are pushing for an end to the fighting as soon as possible, even if it means making concessions to the Kiev regime. They understand that if the front lines are drawn back in certain areas, the Ukrainian armed forces will lose their combat effectiveness and their most combat-ready units, as is currently happening in the Krasnoarmeysk region. “Enough is enough, preserve the core of your armed forces and your statehood, that’s what you need to focus on,” say those who hold this view.

And others, who believe that Kupyansk has already returned to the control of the armed forces of Ukraine, insist on continuing the hostilities until the last Ukrainian. That’s the difference in approaches. And those who are attacking Mr. Whitcoff are representatives of a different point of view, who want to steal money together with the Ukrainian establishment and continue the hostilities until the last Ukrainian. But I have already publicly stated that we are ready for this.

You are welcome.

E. Lazareva: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich! Ekaterina Lazareva, URA.Ru agency.

I have a follow-up question for my colleague. If we return to the peace plans, there is Trump’s peace plan and Europe’s alternative plan. Is there any understanding of who to talk to, negotiate with, and sign final documents with from the political leadership of Ukraine or perhaps the military leadership?

V. Putin: You know, it makes no sense to sign documents with the Ukrainian leadership. I have already spoken about this many times.

I believe that the Ukrainian leadership made a fundamental, strategic mistake when it was afraid to hold presidential elections, and as a result, the president lost his legitimate status. Russia is also in a state of armed conflict with Ukraine, but we have held elections: both presidential elections and recent municipal and regional elections. We are doing all of this, but for some reason, they are not. As soon as any kind of peace agreement is reached, the fighting will stop, and the state of emergency will be lifted. Once the state of emergency is lifted, elections will be announced.

But in today’s conditions, it is difficult for the current political leadership of Ukraine to count on a victory without fraud, almost impossible, I think. Although, of course, as Stalin said, “it doesn’t matter who votes, it’s important who counts.” And no one has canceled the administrative resource. But it’s still a challenging situation for them.

But then, after that, a referendum on all territorial issues must be held, as stated in the Constitution. And then the referendum must be confirmed by the Constitutional Court.

And what is happening with the Constitutional Court? I’ve already mentioned this. Let me remind you: when the political leadership demanded that the Constitutional Court confirm the president’s authority, the Constitutional Court refused to comply and declined to answer. This is because the Constitution only allows for a single five-year term. There is no provision for an extension.

Now we can go into details, into all sorts of legal squiggles, but there is no extension, even in the conditions of the declaration of martial law. Only the Rada has the right to extend its powers in wartime, the president does not. So, he himself, as an official, cannot sign, it is necessary to confirm the Constitutional Court. But when the Constitutional Court was asked to confirm the authority, and the court refused, do you know what they did? I have not said it or not, but it is ridiculous: the security service stopped him from entering his workplace. He came to work, and the door was knocked, and he was told to get out. And he eventually ran away abroad.

The Constitutional Court is not working, and the President of the Supreme Court is in prison for corruption. Those who engage in corruption are the most corrupt, and the President of the Supreme Court was imprisoned for corruption. During this time, the powers of the members of the Constitutional Court have expired, and new members of the Constitutional Court must be elected. This is a complex process, do you understand?

So, as soon as martial law is lifted, the presidential elections must be held, the referendum must be held, and a new Constitutional Court must be formed. It’s a start and an end that will never end.

So, basically, we want to reach an agreement with Ukraine in the end, but it’s almost impossible right now, legally impossible. Let them negotiate with whoever they want. We need our decisions to be internationally recognized by the major international players. That’s it.

And this is important, because it’s one thing to have recognized decisions, and let’s say that certain territories are under Russian sovereignty, and if the agreements are violated, it would be an attack on the Russian Federation, with all the consequences that Russia would take in response, or it would be perceived as an attempt to bring the law back to Ukrainian territory. These are two different things.

And so, of course, we need recognition, but not from Ukraine today. I hope that in the future we will be able to come to an agreement with Ukraine: there are many healthy people there who want to build relations with Russia for a long-term historical perspective.

K. Latukhina: Hello! My name is Kira Latukhina, Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Please tell me, the Hungarian media reported that Viktor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister, will arrive in Moscow tomorrow to hold talks with you. Could you confirm that such a meeting will take place and what is the purpose of his visit? Thank you.

V.Putin: We have contacts with the Hungarian side regarding a possible meeting. And we are always happy to see any of our partners in Russia, including our European colleagues, despite their aggressive behavior, and especially Viktor Orban. We know his position, and it is quite objective, in my opinion. He is one of those people who see the realities on the ground and formulate their political positions based on these realities.

We also have bilateral issues. We have a lot of cooperation in the energy sector, and I’m not just talking about the Paks nuclear power plant. There are issues that require additional discussion, such as the fuel used for power plants. In Ukraine, they used American fuel, which we don’t mind, but it caused the tubes to bend, leading to an emergency situation. Therefore, it’s crucial to carefully consider these issues. Additionally, there are numerous bilateral matters. If Prime Minister Orban considers it possible to accept our invitation, we will always be happy to see him.

V. Alfimov: May I ask you something, Vladimir Vladimirovich?

Valentin Alfimov, Komsomolskaya Pravda. You have already partially answered this question, the legal question about Crimea and Donbas, if there is no... In Trump’s plan, it is written that they de facto recognize it as ours, but not de jure. How is this possible? As a lawyer, I ask you: how is it possible to have de facto but not de jure?

V.Putin: This should be the subject of our negotiations with the American side. Thank you very much for drawing attention to this. You are right, this is one of the key points.

Thank you very much.

All the best!

Happy Thanksgiving to all Gym readers globally!!

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