Putin calls Ukrainian leaders terrorists and is dubious about meeting with Zelenskyy
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has accused the Ukrainian authorities of orchestrating recent explosions on railways in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk oblasts, describing them as planned terrorist attacks aimed at derailing the peace talks in Istanbul. He also questioned the feasibility of a face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Source: Putin in a statement, as reported by the Russian state-owned news agency TASS
Details: This was the first time Putin had commented on the explosions that occurred on 31 May and 1 June 2025 at railway bridges in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk oblasts.
He branded the explosions "terrorist acts", claiming that they had been authorised by Kyiv to disrupt ongoing negotiations.
Putin referred to the Ukrainian government as "illegitimate" and suggested that it is "degenerating into a terrorist organisation".
Quote from Putin: "All the crimes committed against civilians, particularly women and children, on the eve of the latest round of peace talks we proposed in Istanbul were clearly intended to disrupt the negotiation process."
Details: Putin also commented on Zelenskyy's proposal for an in-person meeting, potentially in a trilateral format with US President Donald Trump. He argued that such talks are untenable while "terrorist attacks" are going on.
"The Kyiv elite has resorted to organising terrorist attacks. Yet they are requesting a meeting at the highest level. How can such meetings occur under these conditions? What is there to discuss? Who negotiates with those who rely on terrorism? Why encourage them by offering a pause in the fighting?"
Putin accused Ukraine's Western allies of "sponsoring terrorism" and claimed that for Kyiv, "power is more important than people".
"Ukraine does not seek peace. Kyiv's leaders lack basic political decorum – they resort to direct insults against those they claim to negotiate with," he added.
Notably, Putin made no mention of Operation Spider's Web, in which Ukraine's Security Service attacked Russian strategic airfields on 1 June 2025, reportedly striking 41 aircraft.
Background:
On the night of 31 May-1 June 2025, a road bridge in Russia's Bryansk Oblast collapsed, reportedly while a passenger train was passing underneath, resulting in 7 deaths and approximately 70 injuries.
On Monday 2 June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye hopes to organise a meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Putin in Istanbul or Ankara.
Zelenskyy stated that he supports Erdoğan's proposal.
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