Russia rejects any compromise on its security
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he will not accept any proposal that reduces Russia's security in favor of Ukraine. He expressed this position during his visit to India in an interview with national media. Putin said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially promised peace, but later changed his approach. He claimed Zelensky was putting the views of the extremist groups above the interests of the citizens of Ukraine. Putin characterized the Ukrainian government's stance as similar to a "neo-Nazi regime." He said that Ukraine was choosing military actions instead of focusing on peaceful negotiations.
NATO expansion is still a major concern for Russia.
He said that every country, including Ukraine, is free to choose its own way of providing security, but that choice should not hurt other countries. He emphasized that the security decisions of Ukraine mustn't create a risk for Russia. Putin referred to a promise given by Western leaders to Russia: NATO would not move further to the East. Later, however, all those promises were broken. Putin underlined that possible membership of Ukraine in NATO is a direct threat to Russia.
Putin comments on Donald Trump's peace efforts
Putin also said that US President Donald Trump is sincerely working to stop the war. He said Trump wants to reduce losses, adding that his intentions look like genuine ones. Putin said besides this, the United States has political and economic interests in resolving the conflict. Russia remains open to dialogue but will not accept any terms that undermine its security. Putin said that the first constitutional statement by Ukraine expressed a wish for neutrality, which was later ignored by Ukrainian governments.
Russia distances itself from the G-7 alliance
Putin made it clear that Russia has no plan to return to the G-7 alliance. He recalled that when Russia stopped participating, the G-8 group reverted back to the G-7. He criticized G-7 countries for describing themselves as major global economies. Putin said their collective economic power is weakening when measured by purchasing power. He noted that India is now the world’s third-largest economy under this metric, while countries like the United Kingdom rank much lower. He also said Germany is in recession for the third consecutive year, and France is close to entering recession. According to him, similar economic conditions affect other major European countries. Putin said he explained Russia’s withdrawal to the United States. Putin said relations between Russia and European countries remain poor. He also questioned how he might join G-7 meetings when the European leaders do not want to engage him. He further said, if in the future those leaders become ready to discuss issues openly, Russia may think about participation. He said that Russia is now giving higher importance to other international groups rather than G-7.
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