Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv have started discussions about the possibility of a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy confirmed that these discussions took place during talks between the two delegations in Istanbul earlier this week.
Zelenskyy Seeks Meeting, Putin Sets Conditions
Zelenskyy has been pushing for a meeting with Putin and has called on U.S. President Donald Trump—who is also urging the parties to reach an agreement—to participate.
Putin has said he is willing to meet with Zelenskyy, but only during a “final phase” of negotiations to end the war, which began over three years ago.
“We need the war to end, and that likely begins with a meeting of the leaders,” Zelenskyy told reporters. “In talks with us, they have started to discuss this issue. There is already progress toward some kind of meeting format.”
The latest round of talks, held on Wednesday, saw Kyiv propose holding discussions at the end of August. This timeline aligns with the deadline set by Trump, who earlier this month gave Russia 50 days to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine or face sanctions.
Skepticism from the Kremlin
However, the Kremlin downplayed the possibility of a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting in the short term. “A high-level meeting can and should provide a final solution,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. “Is it possible to go into this complicated process within 30 days? It’s unlikely to happen.”
Peace talks have so far produced few results. The two sides hold fundamentally different positions, and Ukraine has accused Russia of sending low-level officials to the talks who lack decision-making power. Russia has called on Ukraine to give up the four regions that Moscow claims to have annexed—a demand that Kyiv has deemed unacceptable. Ukraine insists it will never recognize Russia’s claims over its occupied territories, including Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014.
