Putin Rejects Zelensky Peace Offer at Forum

The letter, published during an international forum, taunted Russia's leader about his age and battlefield setbacks. Putin called the tone rude and said he would respond to soldiers on the frontline instead.

Forum discussions and economic pressure At the plenary session Putin described Russia's economy as stable despite wars and sanctions. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special envoy on foreign investment, said interest rates were too high and should be lowered to encourage more investment.

Business owners in Lipetsk region told reporters they were struggling to stay afloat under the combined pressure of war spending and sanctions. Growth has stalled in most sectors, and Russian economists describe stagnation or decline in parts of the economy.

U.S. presence and official reactions Rodney Mims Cook Jr, chair of the U.S.

Commission of Fine Arts, attended the forum and delivered greetings from President Trump to Putin. Russia described the visit as the first official U.S. delegation in a decade. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was not aware of any official delegation and did not consider it high-level.

Domestic responses to the war Alexander Zhukov, deputy speaker of the State Duma, answered questions about the war's duration by quoting Putin's statement that the situation must be resolved soon. " Local officials said the attacks damaged infrastructure without specifying targets.

A plume of thick black smoke rose over the city skyline on Wednesday as delegates arrived at the expo centre.