The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, assured this Thursday, September 3, that he sees possibilities for signing a "peace agreement" with Ukraine, but warned that these efforts are overshadowed by kyiv's threats over Russian airspace. Meanwhile, Moscow announced the closure of the Goethe Institute, after Germany reported the closure of the Russia House in retaliation for the alleged shipment of explosives to Leipzig airport.

First modification: 09/03/2026 - 17:21

The measures announced by Ukraine to force Russia to resume peace talks have achieved the opposite effect, according to the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who assured this Thursday, September 3, that the "threats of attacks" against civil aviation dilute the rapprochements between both sides in the conflict.

"In view of the statements we have heard lately from senior Ukrainian officials, it is difficult for me to say how willing they are to a peace agreement (...) this undoubtedly hinders the possibility of holding two-party peace negotiations," the president said this Thursday during the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in the city of Vladivostok, capital of the Russian Far East.

Two days earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted a "de facto" closure of Russian airspace, which he considered unsafe for commercial flights due to the constant launch of drones from Ukraine. "We want to warn all airlines that use Russian airspace: it will become completely unsafe," he wrote last Tuesday, September 1, on social networks.

Some international airlines canceled flights to Russian territory on Wednesday, such as the Turkish company Pegasus. However, the Russian aviation regulatory body, Rosaviatsiya, stated this Thursday that it had not received any withdrawal notification from any foreign airline, according to the Interfax news agency, citing the body's director, Dmitriy Yadrov.

"Threats of attacks against civilian aircraft are, of course, a manifestation of state terrorism," insisted Putin, who on Tuesday assured that "there is no negotiation with terrorists" and warned of retaliation if kyiv's provocations materialize.

Chance for peace?

Despite condemning Volodymyr Zelensky's recent statements, Putin pointed out that there are still options for peaceful and constructive negotiations and thanked the countries that insist on a political solution to the conflict, such as the United States and China, although he stressed that "the problem must be solved, first of all, by the countries involved in the conflict."

"We thank everyone who is trying to contribute to an agreement. Is there any possibility? In my opinion, yes, there is," concluded the Kremlin leader, after revealing that contacts with kyiv "are maintained continuously, mainly through intelligence channels."

From kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told reporters that there will now be "a new dynamic in peace efforts, with the return of this active phase of political and diplomatic engagement in many capitals around the world."

Although he did not give more details, he told journalists to "follow the news."

The last meeting between the kyiv and Moscow delegations took place in February 2026 with the mediation of the United States. Since then, both armies have intensified long-range airstrikes into enemy territory, while Washington's engagement efforts have taken a backseat due to the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran more than six months ago.

Hostilities at sea have escalated drastically with attacks by both sides against ports and merchant ships, which has caused a rise in world grain prices.

During the early hours of this Thursday, one person was killed and four were injured in a drone attack against a passenger bus in the Russian region of Belgorod, according to local authorities.

Meanwhile, a Russian attack in Odessa caused at least 17 injuries, including three children, the head of the city's Military Administration, Sergei Lisak, denounced this Thursday. In addition, several apartments located between the 10th and 17th floors of a 21-story residential building, as well as several vehicles, were damaged.

The Kremlin orders the closure of the Goethe Institute

Russia will close the headquarters of the Goethe Institute in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, as revealed on September 3 by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a day after Germany announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural center in the German capital.

Lavrov justified the measure by stating that Germany "could not help but understand" that the closure of the Russia House on its territory "would mean the end of its cultural presence in Russia", while German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul regretted the Kremlin's decision.

The friction between both countries caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalated on Tuesday, September 1, after Berlin blamed Moscow for an attempted attack at Leipzig airport, where a drone with explosives was found on August 4 near a Ukrainian plane.

Putin dismissed the accusations and said any evidence presented "has been manipulated."

Read alsoRussian drone in Leipzig: the complex response of Germany and Europe

Germany insisted it is "not at war" but had become a "daily target" of the Kremlin's hybrid campaign.

In parallel, the German Executive announced this Thursday that it will allocate an additional 250 million euros to the Ukrainian Energy Support Fund with the aim of contributing to the repairs of the electrical infrastructure hit by the Russian bombings.

European Union ministers on Wednesday assessed the best way to respond to attempted Russian aggression in Leipzig. Brussels has imposed more than twenty sanctions against Moscow, which have affected more than 3,000 officials, oligarchs and entities, including banks, energy companies and drone manufacturers.

After the meeting, some Western governments joined Germany in condemning Russia for allegedly sending the explosives. The British government summoned Russia's top diplomat in London on Thursday to protest what it called an "egregious and reckless attack" by the Kremlin, which it framed as part of "a series of attempts by Russia" to undermine European security.

The Russian embassy in London declared that Britain's summons was part of a "coordinated provocation." "These baseless and absurd accusations, formulated in a surprisingly familiar British style," the embassy said on Telegram, where it warned of an "appropriate and measured response."

The Polish government also summoned the Russian ambassador on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Wewior told the PAP news agency, a day after Warsaw issued a statement to express solidarity with Germany.

Minutes after this announcement, the Polish Air Force intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the international airspace of the Baltic Sea, in an episode that Warsaw considers a provocation by the Kremlin to test the response systems of the Western allies.

Norway seizes Russian ship in Arctic

Norwegian authorities on Wednesday seized the Russian ship Professor Molchanov in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard at the request of Ukrainian shipping company Naftogaz, as part of a global effort to enforce a $4.22 billion lawsuit.

Russia's ambassador to Norway, Nikolai Korchunov, stated that Moscow would manage the release of the ship through legal means, which involves filing an appeal against the decision of the Norwegian court that authorized the seizure of the ship. "We insist on the immediate release of the vessel and guaranteeing the safety of its passengers and crew," he added.

The Svalbard governor's office noted that the regional administration "will take care of the crew and passengers on board the ship in collaboration with Trust Arktikugol," the Russian company that manages Moscow's assets in the archipelago.

The ship arrived Tuesday at Barentsburg, a Russian-operated coal mining settlement on Spitsbergen, the archipelago's largest island, where a group of Russian scientists aboard disembarked, according to a journalist who accompanied them.

In April 2023, a court in The Hague ordered Russia to pay Naftogaz $4.22 billion, plus interest and legal costs, following the seizure of that company's assets in the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

"We will continue to pursue Russian assets around the world until the compensation awarded to Naftogaz and other companies of the Naftogaz Group is paid," the Ukrainian company stated.

Norway claimed the matter was between Naftogaz and Russia and did not involve the Oslo government. The Coast Guard and the Norwegian armed forces were not involved in the seizure of the vessel, a Coast Guard spokesperson clarified, denying an earlier report by lawyers involved in the case.

A Norwegian territory since 1925, Svalbard lies halfway between the North Pole and continental Europe and is governed by a 1920 treaty that also allows citizens of signatory states, including Russia, to settle there visa-free.

Naftogaz had already obtained court orders to seize two Trust Arktikugol properties in Svalbard, including a rental guesthouse, but Russia has raised legal challenges.

With Reuters, EFE and AP

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