Putin accuses Ukraine of terrorism ahead of peace talks, rejects ceasefire proposal

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he doubted Ukraine’s leadership was genuinely interested in peace, accusing Kyiv of orchestrating a deadly bombing in Russia just a day before scheduled peace talks in Turkey. 

The attack, which occurred in Russia’s Bryansk region, killed seven people and injured 115 others.

Russian investigators reported that a highway bridge over a railway line was blown up at 10:33 p.m. on Saturday, just as a passenger train carrying 388 people to Moscow passed underneath. Authorities claim Ukraine was behind this and other coordinated bombings on bridges in both Bryansk and neighboring Kursk.

In some of his most forceful comments in recent months, Putin labeled Ukraine’s leadership a “terrorist organization” and accused Western nations of acting as “terrorist accomplices.” Speaking at a high-level meeting, Putin said: “The current Kyiv regime does not want peace. How can we negotiate with those who resort to terrorism?”

Ukraine has not commented on the bridge bombings. While both sides deny targeting civilians, casualties have occurred on both fronts. Kyiv has previously accused Russia of stalling peace efforts by rejecting calls for an immediate ceasefire, while Moscow insists that specific conditions must be met first.

Notably, Putin made no mention of Ukraine’s recent drone strike on strategic Russian bomber bases, which occurred Sunday, a day before peace negotiations in Istanbul. These attacks, along with the bridge bombings, took place just prior to the talks, where Russia laid out what the U.S. described as "maximalist" demands.

Putin argued that a ceasefire would merely give Ukraine and its Western allies time to rearm. Meanwhile, Russia’s chief negotiator said Ukraine handed over a list of 339 children it alleges were abducted by Moscow.

War Intensifies

Before Putin’s remarks, other Russian officials said all military options remained on the table in response to Ukraine’s deep strikes into Russian territory. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned the U.S. and U.K. against actions that could further escalate the conflict. Western officials, however, denied prior knowledge of the attacks on Russia’s nuclear-capable bombers.

Donald Trump’s former Ukraine envoy warned the situation risked spiraling further after the attacks. Just a week prior, Trump had criticized Putin over a major aerial assault on Ukraine.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged a measured response, saying Russia should use both diplomacy and military action to achieve its goals. Putin appeared to support this approach but later stated he would consult with security officials.

Zelenskiy Calls for Temporary Ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed a temporary ceasefire to create an opportunity for direct talks with Putin. “My proposal, which I believe our partners will support, is a ceasefire until we can hold a leaders’ summit,” Zelenskiy said during a press briefing in Kyiv. He added that ceasefire monitoring could be addressed at the meeting.

Zelenskiy expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump would support the initiative. However, Russia reiterated its opposition, claiming Ukraine would use the ceasefire to acquire more Western weapons.

Zelenskiy said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who hosted the June 2 talks in Istanbul, supports a high-level summit involving Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., and Turkey.

While the Istanbul talks yielded little progress toward ending the three-year-old war, both sides exchanged proposals and discussed a potential prisoner exchange. According to Zelenskiy, Russia has agreed to return 500 individuals over the coming weekend. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said the focus would be on severely wounded individuals, young soldiers, and the repatriation of fallen troops.

Zelenskiy added that Ukraine had yet to receive a response to the document it submitted prior to the meeting, characterizing Russia’s counter-proposals as ultimatums.