Putin Open to Meeting Zelenskyy but Calls for Preparatory Work
Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, provided that prior groundwork is completed, the Kremlin announced on Monday, reports 24brussels.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, “I want to remind you that the president himself does not rule out holding such a meeting after the necessary work is done at the expert level and the necessary distance has been covered.”
However, he noted that the preparatory work “has not yet been done.”
Zelenskyy had called for a direct meeting with Putin last week after the Russian president expressed optimism for further peace negotiations, stating that Russian troops were “advancing on the entire front line.”
In a post on X on August 1, Zelenskyy stated, “We understand who calls the shots in Russia, and thus Ukraine is once again offering to move beyond technical talks — not to exchange statements, but to actually meet at the level of leaders.”
Peskov’s remarks came just ahead of the expiration of U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face economic sanctions. Trump had initially given Russia a 50-day deadline, which he later reduced to 10 days after expressing disappointment with Putin’s response.
Furthermore, Trump indicated that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would be visiting Russia in the upcoming days. Peskov responded by saying, “we are always happy to see Mr. Witkoff in Russia.”
