I see no point in meeting with Zelenskyy — Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to an open letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposing a face-to-face meeting to discuss ending the war, stating that he currently sees no basis for such a meeting. Reuters reported this.

 

It was reported that Putin, during his speech at Russia's annual economic forum, said that certain aspects of Zelenskyy's letter were written in a harsh tone and that he did not accept it as a sincere offer for negotiations.

 

The Russian leader emphasized that some phrases in the letter gave the impression that they were aimed not at creating conditions for face-to-face dialogue, but rather at preventing such a meeting from taking place.

 

Speaking on stage at Russia's annual economic forum in response to journalists' questions about the possibility of meeting with Zelenskyy, Putin said:

"I currently see no point in it," he said.

 

A day earlier, during a meeting with representatives of international mass media, the Russian president reiterated his firm position regarding the war in Ukraine. According to him, Russian troops are advancing daily along the front line.

 

At the same time, Putin noted that peace initiatives put forward by US President Donald Trump could serve to halt military actions if Kyiv is ready for compromise.

 

Russia and Ukraine have been accusing each other of being unwilling to make the compromises necessary for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.

 

The publication noted that some nationalist groups and commentators in Russia assessed Zelenskyy's open letter not as an initiative aimed at ending the war, but as a political and information campaign intended to intensify dissent within Russia.

 

Zelenskyy's open letter and Putin's response to it were announced at a time when discussions regarding the prospects of a diplomatic resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war are ongoing.