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 addressed reporters after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, discussing various topics including Ukraine, Germany and NATO. Putin stated that Russia's armed forces have been instructed to prepare and carry out large-scale strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities. When asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's threats to Russian airspace, Putin dismissed the claims as state terrorism and emphasized that negotiations are not to be held with terrorists.

Regarding strikes against Ukraine's leadership, Putin mentioned that Russia is not targeting such individuals and works on the assumption that negotiations can be conducted with some negotiators remaining in Kyiv. He also dismissed rumors of mobilization post-Russia's elections as disinformation. Putin highlighted the importance of protecting critical infrastructure and stressed that nationalization was never considered.

He also mentioned that intelligence contacts between Russia and other countries were not new and that an American citizen had been handed over to the United States. The story also touched upon Germany's decision to close Russia's consulate general, which Putin attributed to Germany's domestic political situation and the upcoming elections.