MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he was ready to hold talks with Volodymyr Zelensky if the Ukrainian president came to Moscow, but questioned whether such talks would be meaningful.
Zelensky has been pressing to meet Putin to discuss the terms of a possible Ukraine peace deal, and US President Donald Trump, who has been trying to broker a peace settlement, has said he wants the two leaders to meet.
Speaking at a news conference in Beijing, Putin said Trump had asked him to meet with Zelensky during their meeting last month in Alaska. The Russian President added that he had conveyed to the US President of his readiness to meet Zelensky.
“As for a meeting with Zelensky, I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting. But is there any point? Let’s see,” Putin told reporters.
“Donald asked me if I could possibly arrange such a meeting. I replied that yes, it’s possible. Ultimately, if Zelensky is ready, let him come to Moscow – then the meeting will take place.”
Putin said that in his view, Ukraine needed to cancel martial law, hold elections, and hold a referendum about territorial questions if progress was to be made.
The Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska in August marked the first in more than four years.
It lasted about three hours, after which both leaders issued statements to the press, expressing “good results” and emphasizing the need to continue efforts.
