"We'll find something to answer with"

The process of resolving the Ukrainian crisis has been frozen, and Moscow is ready only for meaningful negotiations, Vladimir Putin said at a press conference following the SCO summit in Bishkek. According to him, U.S. representatives Witkoff and Kushner are always welcome guests in Russia. At the same time, Ukraine continues to strike at Russian infrastructure, and the president called Vladimir Zelensky's threats against civil aviation an application for terrorism. Nevertheless, Russia is coping with the challenge posed by the development of UAVs. After the attacks, 10% of the damaged refineries remained to be repaired, Putin informed. And he assured that all the tasks facing the country would be solved, and Russian forces were advancing on the battlefield.

What did Putin say about the negotiations and the situation in the free zone

Moscow maintains direct contacts with Washington, despite the pause in negotiations on Ukraine. According to Vladimir Putin, cooperation continues, including through the Russian and American special services. The other day, CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited the Kremlin.

— Contacts are always there and always have been, even during the most difficult times of the Cold War. And now they are even more so. Among other things, direct contacts are maintained between the heads of the special services," the president said at a press conference following the SCO summit.

According to him, U.S. representatives Witkoff and Kushner are always welcome guests in Moscow. At the same time, Russia does not exclude the involvement of new participants in the settlement if they are able to really help the process. According to him, the Kremlin is ready for the participation of those who can make a concrete contribution to the dialogue, but is not interested in expanding the negotiation format for the sake of the process itself.

The situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the battlefield will only worsen. The President said that "the enemy will pour in," but did not predict the timing, noting that the course of hostilities is difficult to predict. Immediately before the meeting with journalists, he said, he discussed the situation with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Putin called drones one of the main challenges in the special operation zone. According to him, the Russian side has so far managed to respond to the development of these technologies, including through the growth of the capabilities of the defense industry.

— Now the main challenge is, of course, drones. And in all environments — underwater, at sea, on land and in the air. And this is a serious challenge for us. We're dealing with him," he said.

In general, the Russian troops, as the president stated, are not only continuing their offensive, but also "increasing their pace." In August alone, 270 square kilometers of the territory of the DPR and 15 settlements came under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.

The tasks facing the country will be solved, the president stressed, while refuting rumors of a new mobilization.

"That's bullshit. This is an information attack on Russia," Vladimir Putin said.

Russia wants to end the war and achieve lasting peace, the president once again drew attention.

Commenting on the decree on measures to protect critical infrastructure, the President stressed that nationalization was out of the question. "Until the thunder breaks, the man will not cross himself," Putin said, recalling that the enemy managed to damage a number of refineries only because they were not protected.

According to the president, the companies have been shifting this task to law enforcement agencies for a long time, but after a joint discussion they agreed on the need to actively participate in the process.

— When they talked, they realized that they needed to get involved. Three refineries were hit, but it didn't work out — they are protected," he said.

After the attacks, 10% of the damaged refineries remained to be repaired.

Threats to civil aviation and shipping

The president also elaborated on Vladimir Zelensky's new threats against Russian civil aviation. He appealed to international airlines operating flights over the Russian Federation and urged them to abandon flights over the country because of Ukrainian drones. Vladimir Putin called such statements harsh.

— If it is said out loud, then it is an application for state terrorism. They are asking for the resumption of negotiations. There are no negotiations with terrorists. If such tragedies occur, we will find something to respond to," the head of state stressed.

Moscow will identify the tools to respond to such threats. The President also explained why Russia is not currently attacking the military and political leadership of Ukraine. According to him, if the dialogue is resumed, Moscow will need negotiators from the Ukrainian side.

The topic of drones was also raised in the question of the decision of the German authorities to terminate the agreement on the Russian House in Berlin and close the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Bonn. Earlier, the German authorities accused Moscow of involvement in the incident with a drone at Leipzig airport. According to Vladimir Putin, the new decisions of the German authorities are related to the domestic political situation and the difficult situation of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The authorities in Berlin are trying to explain the closure of enterprises and job cuts by opposition to Russia. At the same time, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not enjoy the trust of his citizens, because he does not protect Germany's national interests, but sells them. That is why Germany is hesitant to approve gas supplies via Nord Streams.

— Given the drop in ratings, of course, the question arises about the political future of the ruling elite of Germany. I think this decision is another mistake. This is a grave mistake and it contradicts the interests of the German people," Vladimir Putin said.

Against the background of the difficult situation with shipping in the Black Sea, the "grain deal" has become relevant again. In the past, Russia went to its conclusion, but most of the grain went to Europe, and Africa turned out to be empty, Vladimir Putin said. The issues identified by the Russian Federation in the framework of the grain deal have not been resolved, he noted.

At the same time, the total damage from the Ukrainian campaign against civilian shipping in the Black and Azov Seas amounted to about 1% of GDP, the head of state said. He noted that this is non—critical damage - Ukraine is not capable of causing critical damage to Russia. Russia's retaliatory attacks on Ukrainian exports will lead to three crises — currency, budget and banking.