Putin cites Trump peace ideas and claims Russian economic strength at SPIEF

At the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian troops continue daily advances, now controlling the entirety of the Luhansk People's Republic and over 85% of Donetsk, as well as about 80% of Zaporizhzhia. He suggested that a peace settlement could be reached if Ukraine accepted the concessions discussed in a previous meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, noting that Trump’s proposals might end the fighting.

During the same press session, Putin criticised what he described as short‑sighted European policies and highlighted the growing share of BRICS nations in global GDP, claiming they account for roughly 40% of world output in purchasing‑power‑parity terms versus less than 30% for the G7. He also mentioned Russia’s public debt at 16.4% of GDP and an unemployment rate of 2.2%, portraying the Russian economy as resilient amid sanctions.