UPDATE 5 - Putin says Israeli actions in Gaza 'some kind of total destruction of civilian population'

UPDATES WITH FURTHER REMARKS ON BLACK SEA, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed Türkiye's significant efforts to resolve the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7 and left most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.

"What is happening now in Gaza ... does not really look like a war, it is some kind of total destruction of the civilian population," Putin told the heads of leading global news agencies, including Anadolu, at the Lakhta Center as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Asked by Anadolu whether Russia had any plans to take any initiatives within the UN Security Council regarding the ongoing Israeli onslaught, Putin said: “The first thing I want to say is of course we are against terrorism in all its manifestations, against attacks against civilians -- at any place and in any country. But what is happening now in Gaza in response to the well-known terrorist act in Israel does not really look like a war, it is some kind of total destruction of the civilian population.”

He stressed that the US is to blame for what is happening in the blockaded enclave.

"We believe this is a result of US policy. They monopolized the peace process. They pushed aside all previously established mechanisms for collective efforts to solve this extremely difficult problem," he said.

Indicating that the US administration might have approached the Gaza issue with "fewer views, a faster solution," Putin said: "However, in practice, this was not the case. It is not possible to solve the problem with some material offerings. The real issue, political matters, need to be resolved. This involves creating two states, as foreseen in the UN’s decision to establish two states in this territory -- a Palestinian state and a Jewish state."

Putin emphasized that it is not possible to resolve the situation without addressing the fundamental issues.

"We have long recognized the Palestinian state since the Soviet Union era. Our approach in this regard has not changed," he said.

Highlighting the steps taken by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resolve the conflict, Putin said: "We know that President Erdogan has made vigorous efforts to solve this very urgent and longstanding issue. Considering President Erdogan's authority in the region, the world, and the Islamic world, we expect his contribution to be noticeable. For our part, taking into account our longstanding relations with Israel, we are ready to do everything Russia can to resolve this situation."

Türkiye is the largest aid donor to Gaza since the conflict broke out eight months ago, and has suspended all commercial ties with Israel, urging it to agree to a cease-fire.

- Developing energy and trade cooperation with Türkiye

About economic relations between Ankara and Moscow, Putin said the construction of Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant Akkuyu in the southern Mersin province is progressing according to schedule.

He said many Turkish experts are working on the project, and the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) opens a new field for the Turkish economy and its energy sector.

Stressing that Erdogan made a strategic decision with the nuclear power plant, Putin said that "besides many benefits, it also reduces dependency on hydrocarbon resources. We have a reliable working partnership in this field."

The Akkuyu NPP, located in the Gulnar district of Mersin, will have a power generation capacity of 35 billion kilowatt-hours after all four units are completed.

According to the intergovernmental agreement between Türkiye and Russia, the first unit is expected to start electricity generation in 2025, seven years after the construction license for the first power unit was obtained.

Turning to the planned natural gas hub in Türkiye, Putin said it is intended to be an electronic platform for gas trading, primarily for Europe.

Putin further said Russia protects both the Blue Stream and TurkStream gas pipelines because the Ukrainian Armed Forces are "attempting to attack and destroy them," and that the ships guarding them are under "constant attack."

"There is something I want to draw your attention to. While Türkiye cooperates with Ukraine in some areas, Ukraine tries to hit the pipelines carrying gas to Türkiye. This is not a joke or an exaggeration in any way. Two drones were jammed by Russian electronic warfare systems and fell near the gas pumping station on the Black Sea coast. Please inform our friend President Erdogan about the facts regarding this matter. There are also continuous attacks with unmanned sea vehicles on ships protecting the energy infrastructure under the Black Sea," he also said.

Pointing to the development of trade relations and the trade volume between Türkiye and Russia, Putin said: "It seems to me that recently, the economic bloc of the government in Türkiye has focused on obtaining loans, making investments, and receiving grants from Western financial institutions.”

“This is probably not a bad thing. But if it is related to the restriction of trade and economic relations with Russia, then the Turkish economy will lose more than it gains. I think there is such a threat."

- Supplying weapons to Ukraine by US, Europe

Turning to the issue of supplying Ukraine with advanced Western weapons capable of reaching Russian territory, Putin said Kyiv only names the targets.

"But they do not decide whether to strike at this target or not, because, I repeat, a flight mission is being formed, and it is only assigned by those who supply these weapons. If it's ATACMS (missile), then the Pentagon is doing it. If Storm Shadow, then the British are doing it," he stressed.

US President Joe Biden last week granted Ukraine secret approval to use US-supplied weapons to strike inside of Russia, but only near the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, where Russian forces entered early May and have since advanced. The Pentagon said the US does not support long-range capabilities being used within Russia.

Speaking about possible retaliation, Putin pledged to improve air defenses and revealed that the Russian leadership is thinking about a "symmetrical response."

"If someone considers it possible to supply such weapons to a war zone to strike our territory and create problems for us, then why do we not have the right to supply our weapons of the same class to those regions of the world where attacks will be carried out on sensitive objects of those countries that do the same to Russia?

“The answer may be symmetrical," he warned.

* Alperen Aktas and Burc Eruygur in Istanbul contributed to this report