Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed today that no one desires a direct clash between NATO forces and Russian troops in Syria, but if anyone seeks that, we are ready. Regarding the war in Ukraine, Putin stated that Russia does not reject conducting talks related to Ukraine, indicating that both the African peace initiative and the Chinese initiative could form a basis for peace.
During a press conference following Putin's meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg, he noted that it is difficult to implement a ceasefire while the Ukrainian army is launching attacks. He added that there are currently no significant changes or intensification of actions on the Ukrainian front, pointing out that Ukraine has lost 415 tanks and 1,300 armored vehicles since June 4.
Putin described the discussions with African leaders as "friendly" with attempts to find ways to resolve the situation. Concerning his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Russian president announced that they agreed to hold a phone call on Wednesday, but no agreement has yet been reached on where to hold a direct meeting with Erdoğan, whether in Russia or Turkey.
He mentioned that Russia aims to establish an electronic platform for gas sales in Turkey and does not intend to store gas there, adding that the proposal to create a "gas center" in Turkey is still on the agenda. Regarding the grain export agreement, the Russian president believes that Russian companies will achieve greater profits due to Moscow's withdrawal from the grain export agreement via the Black Sea, owing to rising grain prices. He added that Russia will share the profits with poorer countries through the free delivery of its grains.
