The Kremlin announced Saturday that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is possible, but only if preliminary agreements are reached in advance. The statement follows Putin’s refusal to accept Zelensky’s recent invitation to meet during negotiations held in Istanbul between delegations from both countries.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, “A direct meeting between the two presidents is not ruled out, but it must be preceded by concrete agreements between negotiating teams.” He emphasized that scheduling a high-level summit without prior understanding would be “premature and counterproductive.”
During the Istanbul talks, which resumed after several weeks of deadlock, the sides reportedly discussed humanitarian corridors, prisoner exchanges, and territorial guarantees. Both delegations described the atmosphere as “constructive,” but noted that key differences remain, particularly regarding future security arrangements and border demarcations.
Kremlin officials added that the next step following the Istanbul discussions would be implementing mutual prisoner exchanges and evaluating modifications to each side’s demands. Zelensky has repeatedly called for a face-to-face meeting with Putin to accelerate the negotiation process, while Russia continues to stress that substantial groundwork must be completed beforehand.
