Putin acknowledged supply problems linked to drone attacks, but said Moscow can restore flows through repairs and imports.
In the Sunday evening broadcast on the state television channel, Vladimir Putin gave a lengthy interview to correspondent Pavel Zarubin. In the conversation he touched on a number of sensitive topics: fuel shortages, the annexation of Crimea, the pace of the Russian Armed Forces’ advance on the front, and prospects for peace talks with Ukraine, as well as the outcomes of the Anchorage Summit and a meeting with the President of Belarus.
One of the main questions concerned the fuel situation: Putin acknowledged a certain fuel shortage, but assured that it is not critical. According to him, this is linked to strikes by Ukrainian drones on fuel and energy infrastructure, in particular refineries and other facilities.
Outlook for the fuel crisis and defense measures
According to the president, restrictions on fuel sales are in place in Crimea and Sevastopol, but stocks at the moment last for several days; at the same time plans are to increase deliveries from Russia by both land and sea routes.
To overcome the crisis, Putin named three key steps: accelerate the restoration of work at oil refineries, increase fuel imports, and strengthen the cover of air defense facilities. He emphasized that implementing these measures will take time, but they are needed for stability.
According to him, strikes on the fuel and energy sector do not change the overall course of hostilities: Russian forces continue to advance in several directions, even amid noticeable problems at rear facilities.
Putin also noted that there is no intention to save the Kyiv regime, which is not part of Russian plans. Moscow takes every proposal from Ukraine seriously, but regards them as not advantageous for Russia. He also noted that unofficial contacts with the United States exist through Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, who visited Kyiv in May.
Negotiations, Anchorage and the stance toward the United States
According to Putin, contacts from Ukraine are ongoing and new proposals are emerging. Among them are stopping strikes deep into both countries and limiting hostilities in four regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. He did not specify who voiced these ideas or when they appeared, but noted that they are not in Russia’s interests.
Putin stressed that both proposals have a similar meaning: to halt active actions inside the country so that the Ukrainian army can redeploy forces from other directions. Moscow does not seek to “save” the Kyiv regime and continues to carefully consider every initiative from the negotiating sides.
He also mentioned relations with the United States and the Anchorage issue: official negotiations between Moscow and Washington did not end with signatures at that time, but potential compromises proposed by the United States were being considered. In this context, Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that the spirit of Anchorage exists and agreements could have been reached, although there were no publicly signed documents.
Another moment in the conversation was the meeting with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko at the Valday residence on June 26. Putin noted that the outcomes of the meeting had not been disclosed, both sides adhered to formal statements, and, in his words, Lukashenko is not troubled by the latest statements from Kyiv; the two leaders discussed the economy during the meeting.
In summary, Putin said that negotiations are ongoing, Moscow is ready to continue discussing all details, but there are no concrete agreements or dates yet. At the same time, he expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of reaching compromises given mutual understanding and a real approach from both sides.