Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled out a ceasefire regarding long-range strikes with Ukraine as Moscow intensifies its aerial attacks on Kyiv. Speaking at the Valdai political forum in Moscow on Thursday, Putin stated, "We are told: ‘Let them stop striking your refineries, and you will stop striking their ships.’ It is simply ridiculous."
His comments followed a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on September 22, during which Zelenskyy indicated that Kyiv was prepared to cease strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow halted its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Putin noted that Ukraine had "partially achieved its objectives" with these strikes, which he claimed had cost Russia 1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), but asserted that Russia was now responding in kind.
Russia has increased long-range strikes targeting Ukraine’s steel companies and supply chains, particularly in the rail sector. Ukraine has accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilian sites, maintaining a state of alert in Kyiv as winter approaches.
On Thursday, a Russian drone reportedly struck a school in Kyiv, although no casualties were reported as children and staff were in shelters at the time.
Putin expressed a preference for resolving the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations and stated that he would like Ukraine to become a neutral country post-conflict. He cautioned the West against escalating tensions over the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, located between Poland and Lithuania, and warned that Russia would defend it with nuclear weapons if necessary.
He stated, "If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation – in this case, we are referring to Kaliningrad, and perhaps other territories as well – the question of the Russian Federation deploying all the weapons at our country’s disposal will, of course, inevitably and immediately be on the agenda."
Putin's remarks came after NATO received a diplomatic note from Russia warning that it would resort to nuclear weapons if NATO attempted to isolate Kaliningrad. He cautioned that cycles of escalation in international conflict could lead to dangerous outcomes, stating, "The logic of escalating, increasingly harsh retaliatory measures leads to a fatal point of no return."
Conversely, Putin mentioned that in a "favorable scenario," the assets of Western companies seized by Moscow could potentially be returned. Last month, he ordered the seizure of businesses and assets belonging to Swiss food giant Nestle, French retailer Auchan, the former Leroy Merlin DIY chain, and German wholesaler and food retailer Metro.