Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that a meeting with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky could take place “anywhere,” including in a third country, but only after a final long-term peace agreement is fully prepared and ready for signing.
“The Ukrainian side and Mr. Zelensky, they are ready to have a personal meeting... We have never refused,” Putin said during a press conference after Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
“We can meet in the third country as well, but only after there is an ultimate agreement regarding a peace deal that must be a long-term deal.”
Putin stressed that the meeting should be the “final thing,” the signing ceremony itself, rather than another round of open-ended negotiations.
Minsk Accords referenced
Recalling the experience of the Minsk peace agreements, Putin suggested previous negotiation formats had failed because talks continued without binding outcomes.
“We can speak hours, day and night and it would yield no results. We need specialists to take care of that... then we can meet, we can sign.”
According to Putin, detailed technical work and final agreement terms would need to be completed beforehand by negotiating teams and specialists before any leaders’ summit could take place.
Putin says conflict “heading towards the end”
During the same May 9 briefing, Putin also stated that the Ukraine conflict itself “is heading towards the end.”
The remarks came one day after US President Donald Trump expressed hope that Moscow’s May 8 ceasefire initiative could help move the conflict toward conclusion.
Russia reiterates conditions for peace
Last December, Putin reiterated that Russia seeks what it describes as a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict, provided the “root causes” of the war are addressed.
Moscow has repeatedly argued those causes include:
- NATO expansion toward Russia’s borders
- Western military support for Ukraine
- Security guarantees for Russia
- The status of disputed territories
The Kremlin has also maintained that any long-term settlement must include binding security arrangements rather than temporary ceasefire measures alone.
Source: RT