# Why doesn’t Russia kill Ukraine’s leaders? Putin says he needs ‘some kind of negotiators’ left in Kyiv

https://mins.news/en/item/41060

- Meduza, 2026-09-01 22:20 UTC
- World
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/09/02/why-doesn-t-russia-kill-ukraine-s-leaders-putin-says-he-needs-some-kind-of-negotiators-left-in-kyiv-in-case-they-decide-to-settle

> Speaking after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, Vladimir Putin said Russian forces had been instructed to prepare large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities. He said Moscow was not striking Ukraine’s leadership because it needed to leave behind “some kind of negotiators” in case they chose a peaceful settlement. Putin called alleged threats to Russian airspace “state terrorism,” dismissed reports of another mobilization, and said negotiations were partly frozen.

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