Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is ready to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow for talks, a rare overture even as the war grinds on. At the same time, Putin declared that Russian forces are “advancing” along the entire front in Ukraine and vowed to keep fighting if no peace agreement is reached, underscoring the gap between his stated openness to dialogue and his insistence on continuing the offensive.
Speaking in China while concluding his visit, the Russian president said the war could be settled politically if Kyiv and the West were pragmatic. He added, “The Ukraine conflict can end if common sense prevails. If not, we will have to accomplish our goals through military means."
Putin said he had always been open to meeting Zelensky but reiterated the Kremlin's oft-repeated stance that such a meeting had to be well prepared in advance and lead to tangible results.
"As for a meeting with Zelenskiy I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting. But is there any point? Let's see," said Putin.
The Russian leader said that in his view Ukraine needed to cancel martial law, hold elections, and hold a referendum about territorial questions if progress was to be made.
Putin repeated Moscow’s opposition to Ukraine joining NATO, calling it a direct security threat. He said, “Every country has the right to ensure its security but not at the expense of another.” He added that Russia always resisted NATO expansion but did not object to Kyiv’s economic choices. “Russia always opposed Ukraine joining NATO, but never doubted Kiev’s right to engage in its economic activities however it likes – including EU membership,” he said.
His remarks came as US President Donald Trump said, “I am very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that, and we will be doing something to help people live.”
Russia claimed to have annexed four Ukrainian regions in 2022, a claim Kyiv and most Western countries rejected as an attempted illegal land grab backed by a colonial-style war of conquest.
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