Putin Says Russia Will Not Negotiate With Ukraine, Demands Reliable Peace Plan

Russian Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, speaking according to TASS, said Moscow is ready to enter peace talks with Ukraine only if a "reliable peace plan" guarantees that Ukraine "will never be anti-Russia" and "will not be a battering ram for the West."

“We agree to peace talks only on the condition that it is a reliable peace plan”

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Putin, in comments reported by Reuters, said Russia was winning the war in Ukraine and portrayed the Ukrainian leadership as "terrorists" with whom Moscow could not negotiate.R

Image: Al Jazeera

Reuters reported that Putin acknowledged Ukrainian attacks inside Russia had inflicted real damage and said drones posed a particular challenge, while he told reporters, "I have no doubt the enemy will crumble."R

Reuters also said Putin declined to say when the enemy would crumble, and he said rumours about Russia being forced to order a new military mobilisation were "utter nonsense."R

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned airlines flying across Russia that "Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe," saying Ukraine was not threatening civilian aviation or individual aircraft.

In the same DW account, Zelenskyy said, "There will simply be drones in Russia's skies on a scale that has to be taken into account," while Putin branded the warning a "declaration of state terrorism."

Image: Al-Jazirah Net

Reuters reported that Putin said Zelenskiy’s warning to airlines that Ukrainian drones would effectively shut down Russian airspace sounded like "state terrorism" and that Moscow would find a way to respond if it happened.R

DW also described Russia striking Kyiv and Odesa for a sixth straight day on September 1, 2026, and it said drones triggered a brief NATO response at Estonia's border with Russia.

DW said EU ministers focused on Ukraine air defenses and military support at Ireland talks, with EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas warning that "July and August have been the deadliest months for civilians in Ukraine."

“"July and August have been the deadliest months for civilians in Ukraine"”

DW

DW also quoted Kallas saying securing additional interceptors remains difficult because "some of the countries have interceptors that will expire soon," and it said the EU was working to unlock additional financial support in the coming days.

Al Jazeera reported that the US administration appeared to be increasing contact with key figures in Moscow, including a rare visit to Moscow by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and the surprise appearance of Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at a Group of 20 meeting hosted by the US on Monday.

Al Jazeera added that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was informed about Ratcliffe’s talks but did not personally meet him, and it quoted Trump saying, "He’s not going to be attacking a NATO territory," after Ratcliffe’s visit.