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Putin Open to Meeting Zelenskyy, Says Kremlin—But Only After "Expert-Level Prep"
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![Photo of Maryna Kulakova]( "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
Russian leader Vladimir Putin is open to meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only after what the Kremlin calls “preparatory work at the expert level,” according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on August 4.
Peskov added that such preparatory steps have not yet taken place, effectively ruling out any immediate prospects for direct talks between the two leaders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his willingness to meet with Vladimir Putin for direct talks, calling on Russia to move beyond vague statements and lower-level discussions. In a post on X on August 1, Zelenskyy urged Moscow to demonstrate genuine intent to end the war through leadership-level engagement.
“We have heard the statements coming out of Russia. If these are signals of a genuine willingness to end the war with dignity and establish a truly lasting peace—and not merely an attempt to buy more time for war or delay sanctions—then Ukraine once again reaffirms its readiness to meet at the level of leaders at any time,” Zelenskyy wrote.
Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, echoed the president’s position on Moscow’s rhetoric.
“It’s long past time for Russians to stop the empty talk and come back to reality,” Yermak said.
Earlier in June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Ankara is working to arrange a high-level peace summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, with US President Donald Trump potentially joining the talks if they take place.
