Putin says Russia planned to resume talks after Ukraine elections, but cites attacks on polling stations

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had planned to resume negotiations with Ukraine following elections there, according to Russian state news agency TASS, while alleging that Kyiv had attacked polling stations. The remarks were part of Putin's broader account of the diplomatic history between the two countries since the war began.

Putin recalled that talks held in Istanbul in 2022 were interrupted, which he attributed to the Ukrainian side. Those negotiations, held in the early months of the conflict, have periodically been referenced by Russian officials as evidence that a diplomatic path was available before fighting escalated further.

Disputed narrative

The claims made by Putin, as reported by TASS, reflect the Russian government's characterization of events and have not been independently verified in this report. Ukrainian officials have previously disputed Russian accounts of why the 2022 Istanbul talks broke down, and Kyiv has not commented on the specific allegation regarding polling station attacks referenced here.

The comments come amid continued statements from both sides about the conditions under which renewed negotiations might take place. Russian officials have repeatedly framed Ukraine's domestic political process, including elections, as a factor in the timeline for any resumption of talks.

No independent confirmation of the alleged attacks on polling stations was available at the time of this report, and the broader diplomatic status between Moscow and Kyiv remains unresolved.