Putin says Russia could help broker a deal between Iran and Israel

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Wednesday to help mediate an end to the conflict between Israel and Iran, suggesting Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that could allow Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic program while assuaging Israeli security concerns.

Speaking to senior news leaders of international news agencies, Putin noted that “it's a delicate issue,” but added that “in my view, a solution could be found.”

Asked how Russia would react if Israel kills Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Putin refused to answer, saying that "I don't even want to discuss such a possibility."

Khamenei has rejected U.S. calls for surrender in the face of more Israeli strikes and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage to them."

Putin said he shared Moscow's proposals with Iran, Israel and the United States.

“We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation. But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel,” he said.

Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it developed strong economic and military ties with Iran, a policy that could allow Moscow to play power broker.

Putin's comments follow a mediation offer that he made in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump last weekend.

Trump said Wednesday that he told Putin to stay focused on finding an endgame to his own conflict with Ukraine.

“I said, ‘Do me a favor, mediate your own,’” Trump said he told Putin. “I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later.’”

The comments represented a shift for Trump, who earlier this week said he was “open” to Putin’s offer to mediate in the Middle East.

Over 200 Russians remain at Iran's nuclear power plant

Putin, meeting with senior news leaders of international news agencies including The Associated Press on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, emphasized that Russia has a trusting relationship with Iran and helped built its first nuclear power plant in Bushehr on the Persian Gulf south of Tehran.

He said that over 200 Russian workers are involved in building two more reactors in Bushehr, adding that "we agreed with the Israeli leadership that their security will be ensured.”

Putin emphasized that Tehran hasn’t asked Moscow for military assistance, noting the “strategic partnership” treaty between the countries that was signed in January doesn’t envision such aid.

In addition to a few air defense systems that Russia supplied to Iran in the past, it also offered previously to help create comprehensive air defenses, but Tehran didn't want it, he said.

“Our proposal was to create a system, not isolated deliveries, but a system,” Putin said. “We used to discuss it in the past, but the Iranian side showed little interest.”

Israel said that it knocked out Iran's Russia-supplied S-300 air defense missile systems during last year's strikes.

Praise for Trump's push for peace in Ukraine

Putin on Wednesday praised Trump’s push for peace in Ukraine, seconding the American leader's repeated claims that the 3-year-old conflict wouldn’t have started if he had been in the White House in 2022.

“If Trump had been the president, the conflict indeed might not have erupted,” Putin said.

Russia has intensified its aerial campaign in Ukraine recently and stepped up ground attacks along the more than 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) front line. Putin has effectively rejected Trump’s offer of an immediate 30-day ceasefire, making it conditional on a halt on Ukraine’s mobilization effort and a freeze on Western arms supplies.

He said he is open for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but repeated his claim that he lost his legitimacy after his term expired last year — allegations rejected by Kyiv and its allies.

“We are ready for substantive talks on the principles of a settlement,” Putin said, noting the previous round of talks had led to an exchange of prisoners and the bodies of fallen soldiers.

Asked by AP about Russia condemning Israel’s strikes on Iran even as Ukrainian civilians are killed in attacks by Moscow, Putin responded that Russia was targeting the country’s arms factories.

“The strikes were carried out against military industries, not residential quarters,” Putin said.

AP reporters have documented damage to residential buildings in Ukraine, most recently this week. On Wednesday, emergency workers pulled more bodies from the rubble of a nine-story Kyiv apartment building demolished by a Russian attack earlier this week, raising the death toll from the strike on the capital to 28.

Putin vowed that Moscow will achieve its goal to “demilitarize” Ukraine.

“We will not allow Ukraine to have armed forces that would threaten the Russian Federation and its people,” he said. “And if we fail to reach a settlement, we will achieve our goals by military means.”

He strongly warned Germany against delivering long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, saying that it could draw it into a direct military conflict with Russia but won't help stem Russian advances.

“Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact,” he said, warning Ukraine to accept Russia's terms for a peace deal or face tougher conditions in the future. “If they fail to agree, the situation could change for the worse.”

He also dismissed Western warnings of Russia's purported plans to attack NATO countries as “ravings,” noting the alliance's military spending far exceed Moscow's defense budget.

Putin has used the annual forum to highlight Russia’s economic achievements and seek foreign investment. Western executives, who attended the event in the past, have avoided it after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, leaving it to business leaders from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

He met earlier with former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who now heads the New Development Bank created by the BRICS alliance of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. He is also set to have meetings with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and He's also expected to confer with top officials from China, South Africa and Bahrain and the head of the OPEC group of oil-producing countries.