Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his willingness to host Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow, though he emphasized that any such encounter must be purposeful rather than symbolic.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, where he concluded a four-day visit to China that included the SCO summit, bilateral discussions, and a military parade at Tiananmen Square, Putin underlined that talks “for the sake of talks” would achieve nothing.
“I’ve never ruled out a meeting,” he said when asked about a potential sit-down with Zelensky. “But it must be carefully prepared and should open the way to real, positive outcomes. Otherwise, it leads nowhere.”
According to Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump encouraged him to consider hosting Zelensky during their summit in Alaska last month. “If Zelensky is ready, he can come to Moscow, and such a meeting could take place,” the Russian leader added.
At the same time, Putin questioned the legitimacy of Ukraine’s president, noting that Zelensky’s official term had expired and that Kyiv lacked a lawful mechanism to extend it. This, he argued, raised doubts about whether negotiations with him would carry real weight.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an interview with Indonesia’s Kompas newspaper published on Wednesday, said Moscow remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. He highlighted that Russia had taken the initiative to resume direct talks earlier this year, with three rounds of negotiations held in Istanbul. These talks, Lavrov said, brought “some progress,” including agreements on prisoner swaps and the return of fallen soldiers’ remains.
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