Photo courtesy of Anadolu.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin was willing to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only if the talks would directly lead to formal peace agreements.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, speaking to state media Vesti, said Putin had repeatedly expressed openness to a meeting with Zelenskyy.
He, however, stressed that any encounter would depend on its purpose, noting that discussions must be aimed at producing concrete outcomes.
Peskov said Putin had indicated readiness to hold talks in Moscow at any time, provided the meeting was focused on finalizing agreements.
He added that any negotiation would require what he described as serious preparatory work, while also claiming that Ukraine lacked the political will needed for such progress.
In response, Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine remained open to talks in any format and at any time, but said the timing of negotiations was not fully under Kyiv’s control.
He also said that potential venues for talks should be countries where previous discussions had taken place, citing Türkiye and locations in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine was willing to meet anywhere except Russia and Belarus, and reiterated support for resuming trilateral negotiations.