ON-SCREEN GLITCHES
After practically 4 years, the conflict stands at a fragile juncture as United States President Donald Trump pushes for a peace deal on phrases that Ukraine and its European allies worry might be slanted in direction of Russia.
Russia says it’s ready to listen to from Washington how its draft peace proposals have been modified following consultations between the USA, Ukraine and the Europeans.
The state of the battle – and the query of when it should finish – dominated the primary section of the “Direct Line” occasion, which Putin has held in several codecs most years since 2001.
He sometimes makes use of it to subject dozens of questions on every thing from nuclear weapons to the value of eggs. Some are posed by journalists and others by unusual Russians, who can submit them on-line or by telephone.
The Kremlin stated it had acquired greater than 2.6 million questions upfront. It kinds the occasion as an illustration of Putin’s openness to reply to questions on any matter, and his willingness to reply to the considerations of residents.
However there have been transient glitches within the choreographed proceedings when a number of sarcastic feedback flashed up on a display displaying incoming textual content messages.
“Not a direct line, however a circus” stated one of many messages, which was proven on reside TV earlier than the digicam moved away.
STATE OF THE FRONT LINES
Putin laid out an in depth evaluation of the battlefield state of affairs, saying Russia was advancing alongside all the entrance line and Ukrainian forces had been in retreat.
At one level he gave the ground to Naran Ochir-Goryaev, a senior lieutenant and adorned Hero of Russia who described his half in Russia’s storming of the Ukrainian city of Siversk.
Putin apologised to the widow of a soldier killed in motion, who stated her household had not but acquired the compensation on account of them.
Ukraine says Russian positive aspects are incremental and have come at the price of enormous casualties. It says it’s preventing again in areas comparable to Kupiansk within the northeast, which Russia stated it had captured final month.
Kyiv has lengthy known as for a ceasefire and stated it doesn’t consider that Putin is critical about looking for peace. Russia says it’s Ukraine that’s refusing to return to the desk.
Putin stated a pointy slowing within the Russian financial system – to 1 per cent progress this yr from 4.3 per cent in 2024 – was the results of acutely aware actions by the central financial institution to carry down the speed of inflation.
Whereas his press convention was underway, the financial institution – below heavy strain from companies, banks and a few politicians to carry down rates of interest – introduced it was slicing its key price by half a share level to 16 per cent.
