Zelensky states he wants to talk to Putin in private
(MENAFN) Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky has once again urged for a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, insisting that such a dialogue is essential to secure lasting peace. Moscow, however, views a direct encounter as futile until negotiators from both sides find common ground.
In May, Putin proposed resuming direct talks from the point where Ukraine unilaterally halted negotiations in 2022. Zelensky responded by challenging Putin to meet him personally in Istanbul. Eventually, under apparent pressure from Washington, Ukraine agreed to send a delegation. Since then, the two countries have engaged in two rounds of negotiations that led to prisoner exchanges but failed to produce any major progress toward ending the conflict.
Negotiations stalled in June after Kyiv rejected Moscow’s peace proposals. Ukraine later described the process as “exhausted,” admitting it only participated to avoid appearing dismissive of diplomatic efforts promoted by US President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, Zelensky stressed the importance of accelerating talks and proposed holding a new round next week, while once again insisting on a leaders’ meeting.
“A meeting at the level of leaders is needed to truly ensure a lasting peace,” he said, adding: “Ukraine is ready.”
Though Zelensky’s official presidential term ended last year, he has cited martial law—which he imposed—as justification for staying in office. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently accused Zelensky, a former actor-turned-politician, of seeking the meeting to bolster his political standing, claiming he “is insanely afraid of being forgotten, of becoming unnecessary for the West.”
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