Why doesn’t Russia kill Ukraine’s leaders? Putin says he needs ‘some kind of negotiators’ left in Kyiv — in case they decide to settle.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at a press conference following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek. Just before 3 a.m. local time, he took reporters’ questions about Germany’s decision to close Russia’s consulate general, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement on the safety of Russian airspace, and the likelihood of another mobilization after Russia’s elections. Here’s what he said, in a nutshell.