ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) —Russian President Vladimir Putinis set to take questions Wednesday from international journalists on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Putin scheduled a roundtable session with senior news leaders of international news agencies, including The Associated Press. Among other issues, he's expected to spell out Moscow's position on theconflict between Israel and Iranthat he offered to help mediate in a weekend call with U.S.President Donald Trump. Russia has maintained a delicatebalancing actin the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has developed strong economic and military ties with Iran, a policy that potentially opens opportunities for Moscow to play power broker to help end the confrontation. Putin's comments will also be watched closely for clues to his strategy in the three-year conflict inUkraine, where Russia has intensified its aerial campaign and stepped up ground attacks along the more than 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) front line. He has effectively rejected Trump's offer of an immediate 30-day ceasefire, making it conditional on a halt on Ukraine's mobilization effort and a freeze on Western arms supplies. The Russian leader has used the annual forum to highlight Russia's economic achievements and seek foreign investment. Western executives, who attended the event in the past, have avoided it after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, leaving it to business leaders from Asia, Africa and Latin America. On the sidelines of the forum, Putin is set to have meetings with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who now heads the New Development Bank created bythe BRICS allianceof Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. He's also expected to confer with top officials from China, South Africa and Bahrain and the head of the OPEC group of oil-producing countries. On Friday, he is set to attend a panel discussion at the forum, a venue he has used to make policy statements.
