Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 20 June, President Vladimir Putin said Russia is “not seeking the capitulation of Ukraine” but wants Kyiv to accept the territorial “realities on the ground” created by more than three years of war. Putin repeated his long-held view that “Russians and Ukrainians are one people,” adding that “in that sense, the whole of Ukraine is ours.” He invoked what he called an old Russian rule: “Wherever a Russian soldier steps, that is ours.” Addressing Russia’s current northern offensive, the president said Moscow has no immediate task to seize the regional capital of Sumy but “does not rule it out,” noting that Russian forces are establishing a 10- to 12-kilometre-deep buffer zone inside Sumy region. Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister Andrii Sybiha denounced the statements as proof of Moscow’s “complete disdain” for international peace efforts, saying Russian troops bring only “death, destruction and devastation” wherever they advance. Kyiv and its Western allies reject any recognition of Russia’s claim over the roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory it currently occupies. Putin insisted Moscow has never questioned Ukraine’s independence but recalled that the country declared itself neutral on leaving the Soviet Union in 1991—an apparent signal that abandoning NATO ambitions remains a Russian precondition for negotiations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 20 June that Israel has agreed to guarantee the safety of Russian engineers and technicians working at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, where Moscow has up to 600 personnel, including roughly 250 permanent staff. Putin added that U.S. President Donald Trump had “promised to support” Russia’s demand for their protection. Putin reiterated that Moscow is prepared to help defuse the week-old war between Israel and Iran, but insisted Russia is “not seeking to mediate” and is merely circulating ideas that could satisfy Israel’s security concerns while preserving Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy. Earlier in the week, the Kremlin revived a longstanding offer to store Iranian enriched uranium on Russian territory as part of any settlement. The Russian leader also dismissed reports that Israeli strikes had crippled Iran’s underground nuclear facilities, saying the sites remain intact. He warned of the regional risks of further attacks on Iranian nuclear infrastructure and urged both sides to pursue diplomatic solutions rather than continued military escalation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi intends to travel to Moscow on Monday, 23 June, for talks with President Vladimir Putin, according to Axios and an interview he gave NBC News. European diplomats quoted by Axios said preparations are under way for the visit, although no official schedules have been released. The diplomats said the agenda is expected to centre on the war between Iran and Israel and wider regional security. Neither Tehran nor the Kremlin has publicly confirmed the meeting, and Iranian state media had yet to report on the trip as of late Friday. The prospective talks would follow Putin’s appearance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum earlier on 20 June, where he reaffirmed Russia’s support for Iran’s right to develop peaceful nuclear energy and cited joint projects such as the Bushehr reactor.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 20 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is “concerned” that the world may be drifting toward a third world war. The remark came in response to a question about global security and was delivered without what he called “irony or jokes.” Putin pointed to the war in Ukraine and the widening conflict between Israel and Iran as flashpoints that are driving what he described as a growing “potential for conflict.” He also highlighted worries about security at Iranian nuclear facilities, noting that Russian specialists are working on two reactors there. The Russian leader said Moscow and Tehran are “fighting against the same forces” but insisted Russia will honour existing commitments without entering the Israel-Iran war. He added that he hopes Israel’s reported threat to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “remains just rhetoric” and called for all disputes to be settled by peaceful means.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow and Tehran are confronting the same adversaries and will deepen cooperation, underscoring what he called a strategic alignment between the two countries. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 20 June, Putin dismissed claims that Moscow is an unreliable ally, branding such assertions “provocateurs.” He added that contacts with Iranian officials take place almost daily. Putin reiterated Russia’s longstanding support for Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy for civilian use. He noted that Russia built the first reactor at Iran’s Bushehr plant, has contracts to construct two more units, and continues work on-site with about 600 Russian specialists who have not been withdrawn despite regional tensions. The Russian leader also urged restraint amid the continuing Iran-Israel confrontation, warning that attacks on nuclear facilities could risk a disaster comparable to Chernobyl. He said Moscow is pursuing dialogue with both Tehran and Jerusalem while calling on other international actors to seek a negotiated settlement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin used the plenary session of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum to assert that Russia now ranks as Europe’s largest economy and fourth in the world by gross domestic product. Addressing delegates from roughly 140 countries, he said the contribution of raw materials is "no longer decisive" and pledged to keep modernising the country’s industrial base. Putin highlighted a series of domestic economic indicators, saying overall unemployment has fallen to a record 2.3 percent, youth unemployment is about 7.5 percent—well below rates in the United Kingdom and France—and the national poverty rate dropped to 7.2 percent last year. More than 2.4 million jobs have been created over the past four years, he added, and the government wants capital investment to be at least 60 percent higher in 2030 than in 2020. Turning to international partnerships, the Russian leader said BRICS now accounts for 40 percent of global output and more than US$1 trillion in internal trade, figures he expects to rise as the bloc expands cooperation in nuclear power, aviation, information technology, robotics and artificial intelligence. Moscow is also working with India on a long-term agreement aimed at boosting trade in non-oil and gas goods, he noted. Putin later met OPEC Secretary-General Haitham al-Ghais on the forum’s sidelines to review oil-market conditions, praising what he called the producer group’s depoliticised approach to ensuring market stability. The meeting capped a day of bilateral contacts that included Chinese officials and the OPEC leadership. Throughout his remarks, Putin criticised what he described as Western "neo-colonial" practices and NATO’s eastward expansion, arguing that a multipolar world order is emerging "as naturally as the sunrise." He said Russia and China "see a clear path" for that shift and insisted that security for one nation should not come at the expense of another.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 20 June that the global balance of power is shifting irreversibly, asserting that Russia and China "see a clear way for a new world order." He said the two permanent members of the UN Security Council are consolidating a bloc that can serve as an alternative to Western‐led structures. China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, appearing at the forum, called Moscow and Beijing "leading emerging markets" and pledged to "promote more global peace and development" together with Russia. Putin invited other countries to join what he described as a "new model of growth" based on BRICS principles of consensus and openness, noting that intra-BRICS trade has already surpassed $1 trillion. Addressing the war in Ukraine, now in its third year, Putin said Russia "is not seeking Ukraine’s capitulation" but insists Kyiv recognise "the reality that has formed on the ground." The statement reiterates Moscow’s conditions for any settlement as fighting and Western sanctions continue.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Friday condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration that “the whole of Ukraine is ours,” saying the remarks display “complete disdain” for U.S.–backed efforts to end the war. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin asserted that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people” and suggested Russian forces could seize the northeastern city of Sumy. Sybiha responded that the Kremlin leader’s “cynical statements” run counter to Washington’s push for a negotiated settlement and demonstrate Moscow’s intent to capture additional territory rather than pursue peace. Kyiv and its Western partners have repeatedly rejected Russia’s claim to occupied regions, insisting on the restoration of Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 20 June that Moscow is not demanding Ukraine’s unconditional surrender but expects Kyiv to accept “the realities that have developed on the ground” since Russia’s 2022 invasion. He reiterated that Russia’s military objectives remain unchanged and framed any future negotiations around formal recognition of territories now under Russian control. Putin also said Russia and China "see a clear way for a new world order," signalling deeper strategic alignment with Beijing as relations with Western capitals remain at post-Cold War lows. Ukraine has repeatedly rejected ceding territory and insists on a complete Russian withdrawal as a prerequisite for peace talks, a position backed by the United States and European Union, which deem Russia’s annexations illegal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any use of a so-called “dirty bomb” against Russian territory would provoke a catastrophic response and could become Kyiv’s “last mistake.” Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 20 June, Putin said Moscow’s nuclear doctrine permits a reciprocal reaction to such threats and indicated the retaliation would be “very harsh.” Putin added that Russian intelligence has no evidence Ukraine is preparing to deploy a radiological device but said the possibility “cannot be ruled out” if it emerges “in someone’s sick mind.” He reiterated that Russia is not seeking Ukraine’s unconditional surrender and claimed the two nations are “one people,” yet insisted the Kremlin would act decisively if confronted with a nuclear or radiological strike.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the European Union has forfeited roughly €200 billion since it began curbing purchases of Russian natural gas and imposing broader sanctions on Moscow. Speaking on 20 June, Putin argued that the measures intended to hurt Russia have instead inflicted significant economic damage on European industry and consumers. His comments come as Brussels advances a roadmap to prohibit all remaining long-term gas agreements with Russian suppliers by the end of 2027. The plan would force European energy companies—among them Naturgy, Repsol and TotalEnergies—to invoke force-majeure clauses or cancel contracts that, in several cases, run until 2030-plus. Energy lawyers and market analysts quoted by Spanish outlet El Economista warn that an outright ban could trigger a wave of arbitration claims and compensation demands running into the billions, because Russian exporters have continued to fulfill deliveries. The International Arbitration Tribunal in Stockholm has already ordered Finland’s Gasum to pay €300 million to Gazprom over a contract dispute in 2024, underscoring the legal risks. EU officials maintain the phase-out is essential for energy security and to cut revenue flows to the Kremlin. Yet the bloc still sourced about 19% of its gas from Russia in 2024, according to European Commission data, and Goldman Sachs estimates prices could double if alternatives are not secured. Putin’s figure of €200 billion, while not independently verified, highlights the mounting economic debate as Europe weighs the final step in severing its energy ties with Moscow.

President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time that Russia faces the threat of economic stagnation and “even recession,” telling the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 20 June that such an outcome “must not be allowed under any circumstances.” He said the government’s priority is to steer the economy toward “balanced growth,” combining moderate inflation with low unemployment. Putin noted that annual inflation eased to 9.6% as of 16 June, a result he described as better than experts had predicted. He forecast price growth to slow further to about 7% by the end of 2025 and promised policy steps to safeguard purchasing power while sustaining expansion. Official data show momentum already weakening: gross domestic product grew just 1.4% in the first quarter, the slowest pace in two years after gains of 4.1% in 2024 and 3.6% in 2023. Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov warned the forum that the country is “on the brink of recession” and pressed for lower borrowing costs to revive investment. The Bank of Russia trimmed its key interest rate this month to 20% from 21%, the first reduction since 2022, yet business leaders and several cabinet members argued the cost of credit remains too high. Central-bank officials defended the tight stance as necessary to tame elevated prices, underscoring a growing policy rift over how to revive growth. Responding to criticism that wartime defence spending is propping up activity, Putin said recent expansion has been broad-based, citing agriculture, construction, logistics, services, finance and information technology. Economists cautioned, however, that heavy military outlays have lost their stimulative impact and that fresh measures will be needed to avert a downturn.