Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a bilateral meeting in Moscow.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Zelensky’s Position on Negotiations
According to Zelensky, the idea of a meeting in Moscow seems like an attempt to avoid real dialogue. He emphasized that the initiation of talks by the Russian side can already be considered a certain shift, however, there is currently no genuine desire from the Kremlin to end the war. The President of Ukraine stressed:
“Our American partners conveyed to us that Putin invited me to Moscow. I believe that, you know, when you want a meeting not to happen, you should invite me to Moscow. Therefore, I think that Russia starting to talk about a meeting is already a good sign. But so far, we do not see their desire to end the war. And regarding the meeting, I believe that mature leaders at such a level should come out with some results. Preferably with an end to the war,” said Zelensky on September 4 at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron following the “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in Paris.
Putin had stated the day before about the possibility of a meeting with Zelensky, but emphasized that it could only take place in Moscow. He referred to Zelensky as the “acting head of administration” and noted that such negotiations could become a “road to nowhere.”
Prospects for Dialogue and International Reaction
Analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War noted that Putin’s statements regarding the alleged illegitimacy of Zelensky indicate a lack of genuine intent from the Kremlin to achieve peace. According to experts, this creates conditions for Russia to further refuse any possible agreement with Ukraine at a convenient moment for them.
Zelensky has repeatedly confirmed his openness to a personal meeting with Putin for the sake of a peaceful resolution. He emphasized that Ukraine supports the idea of transitioning from statements and technical meetings to negotiations at the leaders’ level, but this requires the readiness of the Russian side.
Among the possible venues for negotiations, proposals have come from several European countries and Turkey, with Hungary and Switzerland being considered as potential locations. The Swiss authorities even promised to grant Putin immunity from prosecution by the International Criminal Court during his stay in the country for peace negotiations.
However, official representatives of the Kremlin, including Putin’s assistant Yuri Ushakov, stated that no specific agreements on a meeting between the leaders of the two countries have been reached so far. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also noted that both sides are currently not ready for direct dialogue.
Putin has already proposed a meeting in Moscow to Zelensky twice, but the first such proposal was categorically rejected by the Ukrainian president. The possibility of organizing a trilateral meeting involving the leaders of the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia was previously predicted by former U.S. President Donald Trump after negotiations with Putin in Alaska. In an interview with an American television channel, Trump noted that the parties are not yet ready for negotiations, but suggested that “something will happen.”