Russian President Vladimir Putin again invited his Ukrainian counterpart to Russia for peace talks amid the Ukraine crisis. While speaking at an economic forum in eastern Russia on Thursday (local time), he claimed that he’d even provide security for Zelenskyy‘s arrival in his country to facilitate discussions on the ongoing war.
“The Ukrainian side wants this meeting and offers this meeting. I said: ‘I am ready, please, come, we will definitely provide conditions for work and security,” Putin said according to the translated text reported by Sky News.
Putin invites Zelenskyy, but rejects neutral country intervention to host peace talks
Although offering a “100% guarantee” on the security provisions for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he called the meeting being held in a neutral, third-party country an “excessive request.” And so, he asserted that the best place for their meeting was none other than the Russian capital Moscow.
Putin’s proclamation comes three weeks after he sat down for the Alaska summit with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged the Russian leader to meet Zelenskyy, and find a lasting resolution for the war in question. The Republican president further pushed on Wednesday that he’d be reaching out to his Russian counterpart “very shortly,” especially since his two-week deadline from last month to meet the war-time Ukrainian leader was already up.
Although a rare declaration, Putin also asserted the same sentiment while still in China on Wednesday. “If Zelenskyy is ready for a meeting, let him come to Moscow,” he said, according to the translated statement originally shared by Russian state-owned outlet Tass. Prior to promising his security at the Russian event, Putin claimed that while he was open to discussions, Zelenskyy was “afraid” to meet him.
After Putin’s China visit, Zelenskyy rejected potential peace talks in Moscow
Despite his statements, Zelenskyy’s visit to Moscow seems highly unlikely given the possibility of the dire situation spiralling further out of control in the face of potential threats. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha recently accused Putin of “knowingly” putting across “unacceptable proposals,” while noting that seven other nations had already admitted to their openness to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky, on his part, also rejected the proposal Putin made on Wednesday, ruling out the chances of Moscow being the centre of their negotiations. “As I see it, if your aim is to prevent a meeting, then inviting me to Moscow is the way to go,” the Ukrainian president said at a press conference in Paris.
Putin’s latest admission at the Russian forum followed shortly after his visit to Tianjin for a military parade, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, prompting Trump to speculate that the three were “conspiring” against him.
China recently issued a notice to kick off a trial period, allowing visa-free travel for Russians. Putin subsequently reciprocated the “friendly gesture” after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and the parade affirmed Xi and the Russian leader’s position as “old friends” (now grappling with Trump tariffs).