During the informal press encounter on the sidelines of SPIEF 24, global media representatives, including Reuters, Associated Press, Xinhua, Kyodo, IRNA, DPA and AFP, were given the floor to ask the president any question.
The conversation lasted for over three hours, during which Putin made a number of important statements on the Ukraine conflict, international arms supplies, the upcoming US presidential election, Russia's relations with other nations, domestic economic growth, and the Palestine-Israel conflict.
Putin paid particular attention to the Ukraine crisis and the development of Russia's special military operation, emphasizing that it was the bloody 2014 coup d'état that started the war in Ukraine, and not Russia. He also added that Russia has made every effort to find a formula for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, but Kiev has opted for the military approach.
Check out Sputnik's full video of the exciting conversation!