Kremlin outlines conditions for possible Putin–Zelenskyy meeting
Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to holding a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only if the groundwork for such high-level talks is thoroughly prepared in advance.
According to TASS, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Putin’s position on the matter remains unchanged.
“Let me remind you of President Putin's stance. He does not rule out the possibility of such a meeting, but he believes that any high-level meeting must be thoroughly prepared in order to finalise the groundwork that first needs to be done at the expert level,” Peskov stated.
He noted that at present, Moscow sees no significant progress in the negotiation process over Ukraine.
“So far, it cannot be said that expert-level work is in full swing. No, unfortunately, it is not. We remain interested and ready for such negotiations,” the Kremlin spokesman emphasised.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that any future security guarantees for Ukraine should not be viewed as a precondition for starting negotiations, but rather as an outcome of a comprehensive peace settlement that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict.
“It is important to understand that the provision of security guarantees is not a condition but a result of a peaceful settlement based on eliminating the root causes of the crisis in Ukraine. This, in turn, will guarantee the security of our country,” Zakharova said.
She further detailed what Moscow believes the outcome of the negotiations should entail.
“Demilitarisation, denazification, Ukraine’s neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status, recognition of existing territorial realities, the protection of the rights of Russian and Russian-speaking citizens, and an end to the persecution of canonical Orthodoxy,” she explained.
“Therefore, security guarantees must be built on achieving a shared understanding that takes into account Russia’s security interests,” Zakharova added.
By Tamilla Hasanova