A senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is welcome to travel to Moscow for direct talks with the Russian leader, pledging that security guarantees would be provided. Yuri Ushakov, a key foreign policy adviser to the Kremlin, said Putin has repeatedly made his position clear on a possible meeting. According to him, if Zelenskyy is genuinely prepared for face-to-face talks, Moscow remains open to hosting the meeting.
Ushakov added that assurances would be put in place to guarantee Zelenskyy’s safety should he decide to visit Russia. He also revealed that the prospect of a Putin–Zelenskyy meeting has come up several times during recent phone conversations between Putin and United States President Donald Trump. During those discussions, Trump reportedly suggested that Moscow consider the option of such a meeting.
The comments come amid renewed diplomatic maneuvering around possible peace talks. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, recently said Zelenskyy is ready to meet Putin in person to resolve what he described as two key issues in negotiations: territorial disputes and the future control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Putin has previously ruled out traveling to another country to meet Zelenskyy, insisting instead that any talks must take place in Moscow.
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Ukrainian officials have pushed back against that proposal, with Sybiha previously describing the idea of meeting in Moscow as unacceptable. Zelenskyy himself has also expressed skepticism, suggesting that the invitation may be a tactic to delay meaningful negotiations. He has said that being invited to Moscow under current circumstances appears designed to prevent a real meeting from happening rather than facilitate one. Despite the exchange of statements, no date or concrete framework for a Putin–Zelenskyy meeting has been announced.
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