The Kremlin on Saturday signaled the possibility of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but said that such a dialogue would depend on the achievement of certain agreements between the two nations, Reuters reported.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not elaborate on the specific conditions or terms that Russia would require for the meeting to take place. Notably, Putin and Zelenskyy have not held direct talks since their last encounter in December 2019, as tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have continued to escalate amid the ongoing conflict.
This statement follows the first bilateral, face-to-face talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials since March 2022, held in Turkey on Friday.
President Zelenskyy had publicly challenged Putin to meet in Turkey this week, but the Russian leader instead sent a delegation of aides and officials. Ukraine reportedly raised the prospect of a leader-level meeting during these discussions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting could happen “as a result of work between the two sides to achieve certain results in the form of agreements”. He emphasised that the identity of the Ukrainian signatory to any agreement would be a key concern for Moscow.
Peskov did not clarify the remark, though Putin has previously questioned Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, as Ukraine remains under martial law without a scheduled election since his term expired last year.