--- title: "\"We Need Negotiators\": Putin Explains Why Russia Does Not Strike Ukraine's Leadership" description: "Putin stated that Russia deliberately avoids strikes on Ukraine's leadership because Moscow needs negotiators. At the same time, he called Zelenskyy's statements about drones \"state terrorism.\"" date: 2026-09-01T23:38:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/putin-needs-negotiators-ukraine tags: [putin, ukraine-war, russia, zelensky, negotiations] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "We Need Negotiators": Putin Explains Why Russia Does Not Strike Ukraine's Leadership ![Vladimir Putin at his desk with the Russian flag in the background — statement on Ukraine negotiations](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/02/putin-nuzhny-peregovorniki-ukraina/putin-nuzhny-peregovorniki-ukraina-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Putin stated that Russia does not strike Ukraine's leadership because Moscow needs "negotiators." - He called Zelenskyy's statement about "closing the sky" over Russia a "claim to state terrorism." - Putin reported that negotiations with Ukraine are frozen and that troops are preparing strikes on energy infrastructure. On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin commented on the question of whether Ukraine's leadership enjoys "immunity" from Russian strikes. In his words, Moscow deliberately refrains from attacks on Kyiv's top political and military leadership, because, as he put it, Russia needs "negotiators" who are ready to settle matters by peaceful means rather than "bend Russia to its knees." This is reported by RBC-Ukraine. ### "We Need Negotiators": The Kremlin's Logic In response to a direct question from journalists about whether President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his entourage are protected from strikes, Putin stated: "Well, as you can see, we do not carry out such strikes. We proceed from the assumption that we need certain people, if they understand that they want to settle matters by peaceful means, and not simply to destroy our economy in 40 days and bend Russia to its knees and deal us yet another strategic blow, a strategic defeat. Well, some negotiators are needed." Thus, by his logic, the preservation of the lives of Ukraine's leadership is dictated by Moscow's interest in possible negotiations. ### Response to Zelenskyy's Statement on "Closing the Sky" Earlier, on the eve of these remarks, Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine would close the sky over Russia as long as Moscow continues the war, and warned airlines that Russian airspace has become entirely dangerous due to drone attacks. In response, Putin called these words a "claim to state terrorism" and emphasized that Moscow does not negotiate with terrorists. He also added that strikes on a country's leadership are in themselves a "claim to terrorism," and if the situation comes to that, the Kremlin will "think about how to respond." ### Freeze of Negotiations and Preparation of Strikes on Energy Infrastructure In addition, the Russian leader stated that peace negotiations with Ukraine are currently frozen. According to him, Russian troops have been ordered to prepare to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure. These remarks were made in the same block as the rhetoric about the need for "negotiators," which underscores the duality of the Kremlin's public position. ### Contradictory Data In the statements of the parties and even within a single speech by Putin, inconsistencies can be traced. On the one hand, the head of the Russian Federation claims that Moscow avoids strikes on Ukraine's leadership precisely for the sake of future negotiations; on the other hand, he states that these negotiations are "frozen" and that troops are preparing new strikes on energy. Moreover, the nature of the actions is assessed differently: Kyiv presents drone attacks on Russian territory as a retaliatory measure against the ongoing war, while Moscow classifies this as "state terrorism." Putin's mention of a "40-day" deadline for the destruction of the Russian economy is his own assessment and is not confirmed by independent sources. ### Context and Significance The remarks were made against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict and the escalation of rhetoric around airspace and energy infrastructure. For observers, the key question remains how real Moscow's stated readiness for negotiations is and whether it is consistent with the actual preparation for new strikes, which Putin himself reported. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - ["Negotiators Are Needed." Putin Stated That Russia Avoids Strikes on Ukraine's Leadership](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/potribni-peregovorniki-putin-zayaviv-shcho-1788305340.html) - Прямые цитаты выступления Путина после саммита ШОС в Кыргызстане, включая реакцию на заявление Зеленского и сведения о заморозке переговоров и подготовке ударов по энергетике. Единственный предоставленный источник; конкретная дата саммита в нём не указана. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why, according to Putin, does Russia not strike Ukraine's leadership? **A:** Putin stated that Moscow deliberately refrains from such strikes because Russia needs "negotiators" who will understand that they want to settle matters by peaceful means rather than "bend Russia to its knees." ### Q: How did Putin react to Zelenskyy's statement about "closing the sky" over Russia? **A:** He called these words a "claim to state terrorism" and stated that Moscow does not negotiate with terrorists. ### Q: What did Putin say about negotiations and Ukraine's energy sector? **A:** He stated that peace negotiations with Ukraine are frozen, and that Russian troops have been ordered to prepare strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.