Kenneth Glad
The latest exchange has complicated efforts to restart talks over Ukraine. Moscow is demanding draft terms first, while Kyiv is pushing for direct negotiations in a neutral country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would not meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unless negotiators first prepare a possible agreement, according to Reuters.
Putin made the comments earlier today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum less than 24 hours after Zelensky had called for direct talks in a neutral country.
Wants terms before a summit
“I see no point in meeting. It only makes sense for the Ukrainian side to stop the advance of our armed forces. That’s it. And we need agreements,” Putin said, Reuters writes.
He added: “Let the experts work, develop some solutions, and then we can meet.”
According to Kyiv Post, Zelensky, who has led Ukraine since 2019, wrote: “I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.”
Putin furthermore argued that European governments could not act as neutral mediators while sending weapons to Ukraine, the Ukrainian outlet reported.
“How can the EU or individual EU countries serve as mediators when they are directly assisting the country with which we are in an armed conflict?” Putin said.
“Mediation implies neutrality,” he added.
Points to Anchorage
Kyiv Post writes that Putin referred to what he described as a compromise peace framework discussed with US President Donald Trump at a summit in Anchorage, Alaska, last year.
That is Putin’s account, not an agreement Kyiv has accepted. Zelensky has said Europe and the United States must both be part of any future peace process.
Putin tied any settlement to Ukraine giving up the entire Donetsk region, including areas Russia has not captured. Kyiv has rejected that demand and proposed freezing the conflict along current front lines.
The dispute now centers on the order of talks. Moscow wants officials to draft terms before a presidential meeting. Kyiv wants the leaders to meet first.
Putin’s comments make a near-term meeting with Zelensky unlikely.
Sources: Reuters, Kyiv Post
