Putin says ball in Washington's court on US-Russia ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday his relationship with the United States after the presidential election would depend on what attitude Washington adopts, as he welcomed comments by Donald Trump on his desire to end the Ukraine conflict as “sincere”.

But the Kremlin leader struck a hardline tone, warning the West it was an “illusion” to think Russia could be defeated on the battlefield and that any peace deal would have to recognise Russia’s control of swaths of Ukrainian territory.

Putin was speaking at the end of the BRICS summit in the city of Kazan where he had faced calls from some of Russia’s most important allies for the fighting in Ukraine to end.

“How Russian-American relations will develop after the election will depend on the United States. If they are open, then we will also be open. And if they don’t want it, then fine,” Putin told reporters.

Relations between the two superpowers have sunk to their lowest ebb since the Cold War amid Moscow’s military offensive on Ukraine.

Next month’s US election is set to be critical to the course of future ties and the conflict in Ukraine.

Republican presidential candidate Trump has repeatedly expressed scepticism over Washington’s multibillion-dollar aid to Ukraine and claimed that if elected he could end the fighting in a matter of hours.

Putin said Trump “spoke about his desire to do everything to end the conflict in Ukraine. I think he is being sincere. Of course we welcome statements like this, whoever they come from.”

– ‘Realities on the ground’ –

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among around 20 leaders who gathered for the BRICS summit, the largest diplomatic event in Russia since Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

The Kremlin leader said Moscow was open to considering peace initiatives and welcomed BRICS leaders offering to mediate.

But he said any deal must consider the “realities on the ground” — a reference to Ukrainian territory controlled by Russian forces.

“We are ready to look at any proposals for peace negotiations that are based on the realities on the ground. We won’t accept anything else,” he said.

Putin has previously demanded Kyiv effectively capitulate by pulling its troops back as a precondition to ceasefire talks.

And on Thursday he blasted the West for thinking Russia could be defeated on the battlefield.

Moscow’s opponents “do not conceal their aim to deal our country a strategic defeat”, he said.

“I will say directly that these are illusionary calculations, that can be made only by those who do not know Russia’s history.”

Russia has faced fresh accusations of escalating the conflict this week with the United States, South Korea, NATO and Ukraine all saying North Korea had sent troops to Russia.

Kyiv said Thursday it had intelligence that the soldiers had already been deployed to Russia’s western Kursk region, where Ukraine is mounting a cross-border offensive.

Putin refused to confirm or deny the reports on Thursday, instead accusing Ukraine and the West of aggravating the conflict.

– Middle East –

Putin also held talks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the pair’s first meeting since April 2022.

Guterres “reiterated his position that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law”, a readout from the UN chief’s spokesperson said after their meeting.

Guterres also emphasised his commitment to “establishing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea,” saying the move was vital for both Ukraine and Russia, as well as global “food and energy security.”

The UN chief had pleaded earlier for a “just peace” in Ukraine in a speech delivered in front of Putin.

The Russian leader gave a dry response, saying Guterres had noted “we should all live as one big family”.

“In families, unfortunately, there are often quarrels, scandals, division of property, and sometimes even fights,” Putin said, with a smirk.

Ukraine has strongly criticised Guterres’s decision to meet Putin.

Guterres also demanded an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, the release of hostages and an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in Lebanon.

Other world leaders at the summit also called for an end to Israel’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza, with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas saying Israel was trying to starve Gazan civilians and drive them from their territory.

Xi warned about “serious challenges” in the world and said he hoped BRICS countries could be a “stabilising force for peace”.

The Chinese leader voiced support for a ceasefire in Gaza, relaunching the two-state solution and halting the “spread of war in Lebanon”.

Starting in 2009 with four members — Brazil, Russia, India and China — BRICS has expanded to include other emerging nations such as South Africa, Egypt and Iran.

An application from Venezuela to join the group was rejected after a veto by Brazil — a move condemned by Caracas on Thursday as “a hostile gesture”.