Why doesn’t Russia kill Ukraine’s leaders? Putin says he needs ‘some kind of negotiators’ left in Kyiv — in case they decide to settle.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at a press conference following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek. Just before 3 a.m. local time, he took reporters’ questions about Germany’s decision to close Russia’s consulate general, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement on the safety of Russian airspace, and the likelihood of another mobilization after Russia’s elections. Here’s what he said, in a nutshell.

On Russia’s next targets in Ukraine

Russia’s armed forces have been given instructions to prepare and carry out large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities.

On Zelensky’s threats to the safety of Russian airspace

I haven’t heard any such statements, but if that was said out loud, that amounts to state terrorism. And they’re asking us to resume negotiations, asking for in-person meetings. You don’t negotiate with terrorists. If tragedies happen, we’ll find a way to respond.

On strikes against Ukraine’s leadership

As you can see, we aren’t carrying out strikes like that. We work on the assumption that we need some people there, if they come to realize that they want to settle things peacefully. We need some kind of negotiators.

On mobilization after Russia’s elections

That’s a load of nonsense. It’s a disinformation campaign against Russia.

On negotiations over Ukraine

If someone is making, or can make, a concrete contribution, we’re all for it. The one thing we’d rather avoid is having the whole thing spin its wheels. The negotiating process […] is, to a certain extent, frozen as of today.

On the decree to protect critical infrastructure

You need to get nationalization out of your heads; nationalization was never even on our minds. You know the saying: people don’t act until disaster strikes. So the enemy started striking our facilities, including oil refineries — and sure enough, it did damage, because those facilities weren’t protected. I met with businessmen, and they started saying that this was the responsibility of law enforcement and the army. But we talked it over, and they realized they had to pitch in too.

On the CIA director’s visit to Moscow

There have always been contacts between intelligence officials, even during the Cold War. We recently handed over to the United States an American citizen who had been serving a prison sentence. There are always contacts.

On Germany’s decision to close Russia’s consulate general

This has to do with Germany’s domestic political situation. The chancellor is in a difficult spot; he isn’t defending his country’s national interests. You have to stand up to an aggressive Russia — but where’s the evidence? Well, so they planted the evidence. Given falling poll numbers and the upcoming elections, this raises the question of the political future of Germany’s ruling elite. That’s what this is about.

On killer whales and bears

If someone tries to drag us down the food chain, to gobble us up, to wolf us down, they just might catch one in the teeth.