Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, June 19, expressed willingness to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but made it clear that such a meeting would only happen at the “final stage” of negotiations to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, now in its third year.
While speaking to foreign journalists, including AFP, in Saint Petersburg, Putin questioned Zelensky’s legal authority to negotiate peace.
He argued that the Ukrainian leader’s five-year term had technically expired under the country’s martial law—a claim that Kyiv has dismissed as baseless and part of Russian propaganda.
“We need to find a solution that not only ends the current conflict but also ensures similar situations don’t arise again,” Putin told reporters, signalling his interest in a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire.
Putin added, “I am ready to meet with anyone, including Zelensky. That is not the issue. If the Ukrainian state trusts someone to conduct negotiations, even if it’s the current head of the regime, so be it.”
However, he insisted that such a meeting would be reserved for the final phase of talks, stating, “This should be to wrap up negotiations, not to endlessly divide issues.”
Efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict have recently stalled. Moscow has been pushing for sweeping demands, while Kyiv accuses Russia of deliberately obstructing peace initiatives to extend the war.
Despite Putin’s comments, there’s little indication that a resolution is imminent, especially as both sides continue to hold firm to opposing conditions.
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