Kremlin: Putin open to meeting Zelenskyy after expert-level preparations

Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only after thorough preparatory work is completed at the expert level, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a press briefing.

"The president himself does not rule out such a meeting, but only after experts have done the necessary work and once the appropriate groundwork has been laid," Peskov said.

His remarks come in response to Zelenskyy's recent statement reaffirming Ukraine’s readiness to engage in high-level talks with Russia at any time. Zelenskyy was reacting to Putin’s earlier comment that Russia "can wait" if Ukraine believes the time is not right for negotiations.

During a previous round of peace talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation proposed a trilateral summit involving Presidents Putin, Zelenskyy, and Donald Trump, who has positioned himself as a potential mediator in the conflict. Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation at the time, said such a meeting could only happen after a bilateral agreement between Russia and Ukraine is reached. He noted that a leaders' summit should "mark the conclusion" of the conflict, rather than serve as a starting point.

The Kremlin has repeatedly emphasized that any talks between the two presidents must be carefully prepared in advance, but it has yet to suggest a timeline for when such a meeting could take place.