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Putin to Take Int'l Reporter Questions 06/18 06:39
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to
take questions Wednesday from international journalists on the sidelines of the
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Putin scheduled a roundtable session with senior news leaders of
international news agencies, including The Associated Press. Among other
issues, he's expected to spell out Moscow's position on the conflict between
Israel and Iran that he offered to help mediate in a weekend call with U.S.
President Donald Trump.
Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for
decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has
developed strong economic and military ties with Iran, a policy that
potentially opens opportunities for Moscow to play power broker to help end the
confrontation.
Putin's comments will also be watched closely for clues to his strategy in
the three-year conflict in Ukraine, where Russia has intensified its aerial
campaign and stepped up ground attacks along the more than 1,000-kilometer
(over 600-mile) front line. He 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.
The Russian leader 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.
On the sidelines of the forum, Putin is set to have meetings with Indonesian
President Prabowo Subianto and 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'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.
On Friday, he is set to attend a panel discussion at the forum, a venue he
has used to make policy statements.
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