Putin Pledges Increased Strikes in Ukraine and Support for Iran
The Russian president promised continued retaliation against the Ukrainians and “full solidarity” with Iran.
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has pledged to continue his escalating war against Ukraine and support for Iran in its conflict with the United States, ending a two-day appearance at a summit in Kyrgyzstan with a note of defiance .
The Russian leader also expressed his comfort in dealing with President Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in peace negotiations over Ukraine — a pointed declaration days after the C.I.A. director arrived for a rare visit to Moscow and made a case to his Russian counterpart for ending the war.
“We are completely comfortable working with people we know well and generally trust,” Mr. Putin said, noting that the two envoys have Mr. Trump’s trust and a direct line to the American president. “These are people close to President Trump.”
Asked about trip by the C.I.A. director, John Ratcliffe, Mr. Putin said direct contacts between the heads of intelligence agencies had taken place even at tense moments during the Cold War. He noted that negotiations were “currently frozen, to a certain extent.”
The Russian leader spoke during and after a meeting of the 10-nation political and security grouping known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital.
