Putin-Zelenskiy meeting possible if certain agreements are reached, Kremlin says

The Kremlin announced on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be open to meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy—but only if certain agreements are reached beforehand.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not clarify what specific agreements would be necessary from Russia’s perspective. Putin and Zelenskiy last met in December 2019.

Earlier this week, President Zelenskiy invited Putin to meet in Turkey. However, instead of attending, Putin dispatched aides and officials to hold direct talks with Ukrainian negotiators on Friday—the first face-to-face bilateral discussions since March 2022.

During the talks, Ukraine raised the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders.

Peskov stated that while a meeting could potentially happen, it would only be appropriate after the two sides had worked toward “certain results in the form of agreements.”

He also emphasized, “What remains crucial for us is who exactly will sign these documents on behalf of Ukraine.”

Peskov did not provide further details. Previously, Putin has questioned Zelenskiy’s legitimacy as Ukraine’s president, noting that his official term expired last year.

Due to martial law imposed amid the ongoing conflict, Ukraine has not scheduled new presidential elections.