Russian President Vladimir Putin turned to the Holy Bible when asked whether he made any mistakes during his 25 years in power.
During a round-table in St Petersburg, a US journalist posed a direct question to Putin, asking if he had any regrets or made any errors over the past quarter of a century. The President quoted from the Bible, saying, "Let he who is without sin among you, cast the first stone at me."
The quote means that everyone makes mistakes, and only those who have never made one or done anything wrong have the right to judge or punish others.
During the same interaction, he also shed light on Russia's involvement in Ukraine. Putin said that conditions for Ukraine were much better in 2022 but they have now significantly changed. "The situation is what it is now, but we are still willing to resolve it based on established principles," he said.
He urged Kyiv to sit down for negotiations, warning that any further delay would deteriorate the situation for Ukraine. "They shouldn't put it off... they should sit down and talk to us this is an objective FACT," he said.
Putin said he was open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only during the final stage of talks to put an end to the three-year conflict, adding that there was no point in holding repeated endless negotiations.
He also underlined the goal of not only ending the current war but also ensuring similar conflicts don't reoccur.
Russia isn't threatened by NATO even as it increases its military power, Putin said, adding they are strong enough to defend themselves.
"We do not consider any rearmament by NATO to be a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our own security," he added.
On the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, Putin said he was open to acting as a mediator between the two countries to broker a ceasefire. He said Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that allows Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic program while also assuaging Israeli security concerns, AP reported.
Putin said: "It's a delicate issue," adding "in my view, a solution could be found.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
