ST.PETERSBURG, Russia — President Vladimir Putin looked out across a familiar scene on Friday — and a changing world.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The regimented ranks of government officials, business leaders and supporters who lined up to listen to the Russian leader speak at the International Economic Forum appeared much the same as they have for years.But optimism that followed an August summit with President Donald Trump in Alaska has given way to a stalemate in Ukraine, both on the battlefield and in talks to end the conflict.
On Thursday, the U.S.House passed bipartisan legislation that would provide new aid to Ukraine and impose sanctions against Moscow.Meanwhile, the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has boosted inflation and persistent Ukrainian drone attacks have compounded fuel shortages, imposing more pain on a country already saddled with sanctions.Once a showcase for economic optimism, Putin’s summit in his hometown of St.
Petersburg was this year dominated by drones — those manufactured in Russia and featured on display stands throughout the cavernous event center, as well as those launched from Ukraine, terrifying residents of this historic city.Dismissing a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a face-to-face meeting, Putin said there was “no point.” “First, let experts work, work something out, and then we can meet to sign things,” he said, according to a translation provided by the forum’s organizers.He also questioned Zelenskyy’s legitimacy to take part in negotiations, with a Ukrainian presidential election due in 2024 but postponed because of the war.He thanked President Donald Trump for his efforts to end a conflict that entered its fourth year in February.
“It’s useful, but there are other things that still need to be done,” he said.Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, speaking to NBC News at the forum, also insisted...