Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but only during what he described as the “final phase” of negotiations to end the three-year war. Speaking to journalists, including AFP, in Saint Petersburg, Putin signaled a conditional willingness to engage, while casting doubt on Zelensky’s legitimacy under Ukraine’s current martial law.
“I am ready to meet with everyone, including Zelensky,” Putin said. “That is not the issue — if the Ukrainian state trusts someone in particular to conduct negotiations, it can be Zelensky. We don’t care who negotiates, even if it is the current head of the regime.”
However, the Russian leader added that any such meeting would take place only when talks reach a conclusive stage. “It must be during the final phase, so as not to sit there and divide things up endlessly, but to put an end to it,” he stated.
Putin also questioned Zelensky’s legal authority to sign a peace deal, claiming his five-year term had expired and suggesting his role was invalid under martial law — a claim swiftly rejected by Kyiv as “baseless propaganda.”
The remarks come as peace efforts remain stalled. Ukraine accuses Russia of stonewalling negotiations and advancing maximalist demands intended to prolong the conflict, which began with Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia has since annexed parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, prompting widespread condemnation and sanctions from Western governments.
NATO Buildup ‘Not a Threat’ to Russia, Says Putin
Separately, Putin addressed growing military coordination within NATO ahead of the alliance’s summit in The Hague next week, where member states are expected to endorse plans to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP, under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.
“We do not consider any rearmament by NATO to be a threat to the Russian Federation,” Putin said, downplaying concerns over the alliance’s efforts to bolster security in Europe.
While acknowledging that increased NATO spending might create “specific challenges,” he insisted that Russia remains secure through its ongoing military modernisation.
“There is no doubt we will counter all threats that arise,” he said.
Ukraine, meanwhile, continues to push for security guarantees from NATO as a condition for any future peace agreement. The conflict, now entering its fourth year, has left tens of thousands dead, displaced millions, and disrupted global energy and grain markets.
Despite diplomatic deadlock, Putin’s comments are being read as a signal — however limited — of potential future engagement, though Ukrainian officials remain skeptical of Moscow’s intentions.
