The Kremlin is trying to convince the world that there is nothing to discuss with the Ukrainian president - because he should not actually be in office anymore.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will present his views on the global political and economic situation to a large audience today at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin chief's speech in his hometown and a panel discussion with international guests are staged every year as the forum's highlight.

This time, the focus is likely to be on the war between Israel and Iran and Putin's war against Ukraine. The Moscow leadership is using the conference, with 20,000 guests from 140 countries, to present itself to the world in a positive light and defy the international isolation sought by the West.

The night before this incident, the Russian army again attacked its neighboring country from the air. Explosions and fires were reported in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Glide bombs were dropped on the Sumy region. Furthermore, the Ukrainian Air Force once again detected swarms of Russian combat drones in the sky.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy countered statements by Putin, who had again denied his legitimacy as head of state in St. Petersburg. In a video message, Zelenskyy said: "I am ready to meet in any format with those who (...) have the appropriate authority, including Putin, even though he has exceeded his constitutional mandate by at least three terms."

The Kremlin chief has officially agreed to talks with Zelensky to end the war that has been going on for more than three years. However, he questions Zelensky's legitimacy, arguing that his term of office expires in 2024. However, elections are not permitted in Ukraine under martial law—just as the German constitution would prohibit them in a state of defense. Putin has secured his power by gradually removing opponents from the political stage and by making elections in Russia increasingly less free. He has effectively controlled Russia's destiny since the turn of the millennium.

In its defense against its large neighbor, Ukraine is particularly dependent on the help of the administration of US President Donald Trump. "It is desirable to end the war during President Trump's term (which runs until early 2029)," Zelenskyy said in Kyiv. "I firmly count on his help. I count on the influence of the United States." Sanctions are just as necessary as diplomacy.

Relations between Trump and Zelensky are strained. The US president's confidently announced efforts to end the war have so far come to nothing.

Zelensky appointed Brigadier General Hennady Shapovalov as the new commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. He most recently served as a liaison officer at the NATO headquarters in Wiesbaden, coordinating military aid for Ukraine. The reshuffle in the army became necessary after the previous commander, Mykhailo Drapaty, asked for his resignation in early June. He accepted responsibility for the deaths of twelve soldiers killed in a Russian missile attack on a military training area in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine also received dead Russians during the return of thousands of soldiers' bodies from Russia. In a Telegram post, however, the minister did not specify how many such cases there were.

"The enemy is deliberately making it difficult for us to identify the dead, creating chaos and mixing the bodies of Russian soldiers with those of Ukrainians," Klymenko wrote. Photos showed the alleged military ID card and identification tag of a dead Russian soldier who was supposedly handed over to Ukraine. There was no independent confirmation of this.

Russia has returned more than 6,000 bodies of soldiers to Ukraine in recent days. Moscow received more than 50 bodies back. This, along with a prisoner exchange, was part of the humanitarian gestures agreed upon by both warring parties in Istanbul at the beginning of June.