Putin tells ruling party candidates Russia must fortify state under Constitution

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday called for the consolidation of Russia's domestic political framework and the durability of its state institutions during a meeting with the leading candidates of the ruling United Russia party's electoral list in Moscow.

Addressing the group, Putin underscored the need to reinforce the country's political stability in line with the Constitution. "Despite all the difficulties, despite all the threats that constantly rain down upon us, we must continue to strengthen Russia in accordance with the basic law of the Russian state," he said.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is among the party's candidates, also spoke at the gathering. He said that in his conversations, most people regarded the ongoing military operation as an extension of the historical fight against Nazism. Lavrov claimed that while earlier generations had defeated the ideology, its influence was resurging across Europe, particularly in Ukraine, where he said it was being revived in a concentrated form.

The meeting took place as reports emerged that envoys of former U.S. President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had arrived in Moscow on the same day. Russian state media indicated the visit was aimed at reviving stalled efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, even as both sides continued to escalate aerial strikes.