Kathrine Frich
To meet Zelensky is to acknowledge him as Ukraine’s legitimate leader.
To meet Zelensky is to acknowledge him as Ukraine’s legitimate leader.
One Meeting That Could Shatter the Kremlin’s Narrative
Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky have met face-to-face only once—back in 2019 in Paris.
At the time, Zelensky was a political newcomer with a background in comedy, while Putin embodied decades of strongman rule.
Their brief and tense meeting produced no results, not even a handshake.
Now, with the war dragging on, a second meeting could shake the very foundations of the Kremlin’s message.
From ‘Comic’ to Commander-in-Chief
Putin once mocked Zelensky as an unqualified entertainer leading a fake country.
But after three years of full-scale war, Zelensky has emerged as a symbol of resistance, winning global admiration.
If the two men sit down as equals, it would be a powerful image: the former comic and the career spy, both heading sovereign states.
That alone undermines Putin’s narrative that Ukraine isn’t real.
Trump Pushes for Peace, Kremlin Gets Cold Feet
Donald Trump’s recent efforts to push peace talks have increased pressure on both sides.
While Trump has met separately with Zelensky and Putin, Moscow has since distanced itself from talk of a summit.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said any meeting must be “prepared gradually:”
The Kremlin appears wary of being seen conceding anything on the global stage.
A Risk Putin Can’t Afford: Legitimizing Zelensky
To meet Zelensky is to acknowledge him as Ukraine’s legitimate leader.
That cuts directly against the Kremlin’s original claim that Ukraine is run by Nazis and puppets.
For Russian citizens who believed the propaganda, seeing Putin treat Zelensky as a peer could look like surrender.
It’s a risk the Russian president may not be willing to take.
The Blame Game Has Already Begun
Putin has suggested that a summit be held in Moscow, knowing full well Kyiv would reject that outright.
It may be a tactic to derail talks while pinning the blame on Zelensky.
If Ukraine refuses, Putin can claim he was open to dialogue.
If the meeting were somehow held in Moscow, the Kremlin could spin it as a diplomatic victory.
No Neutral Ground: Where Could They Meet?
Finding a venue is proving harder than expected. Budapest was floated, but quickly shot down by Poland’s prime minister, who cited the failed 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
Neutral European cities like Vienna or Geneva are also complicated, as Putin risks arrest under the ICC warrant.
Every option seems to come with political baggage and legal risks.
A Summit That May Never Happen
Despite growing international interest, there’s no real sign that Moscow is serious about peace talks.
So far, Russia continues to demand vast swathes of Ukrainian territory as a condition for any deal.
Meanwhile, Ukraine refuses to negotiate away its sovereignty. Without meaningful concessions, a summit remains more theory than reality.
