Putin talks Taliban, Trump, and more following 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to the Kazakhstani capital of Astana to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit along with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other members of the 10-nation club. Meduza shares some key quotes from Putin’s press conference following the event.
On the prospect of a ceasefire in Ukraine
We can’t allow the enemy to take advantage of a ceasefire to improve their own position, rearm, and replenish their army through forced mobilization. [...] We need to ensure the opposing side takes steps that are irreversible and acceptable to the Russian Federation. A ceasefire without reaching an agreement like that is impossible.
On Donald Trump’s statements about ending the war
We take very seriously the fact that Trump, as a presidential candidate, says he’s prepared to and wants to stop the war in Ukraine. I’m not familiar, of course, with his possible proposals for how to do this. And that’s the key question, of course. But I have no doubt that he’s sincere about this. And we support that.
On the Taliban’s legitimacy in Afghanistan
We must bear in mind that the Taliban have control in Afghanistan. And in this sense, there’s no doubt that the Taliban are our allies in the fight against terrorism.
On the 2022 Istanbul peace talks
These agreements were initialed by the head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, which means they evidently suited Ukraine perfectly well. These agreements — the Istanbul agreements — are still “on the table” and could form the basis for a continuation of these negotiations.