Kathrine Frich
He is ready to provide “safety” for Zelensky.
Accepting a dinner invitation from a bitter rival takes serious nerve.
When two sides have spent years locked in a brutal fight, stepping onto the other person’s home turf is usually the last thing anyone would consider.
Now, an unexpected offer has landed on the table, and it comes with a massive catch.
An invitation to Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow for face-to-face peace talks, the Daily Express reported.
On Tuesday, a senior Kremlin aide told local media that the Ukrainian leader would receive full security guarantees during the trip.
The offer emerged after Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre phoned Putin. According to senior Russian diplomat Yuri Ushakov, the two Nordic leaders told Putin that Zelensky wanted to meet him directly.
Russia’s state news agency Tass quoted Ushakov as saying that Putin was ready to host the meeting in the Russian capital, where all needed conditions, including safety arrangements, would be provided for Zelensky.
Still, trusting that promise might prove difficult.
Only last week, the Daily Express reported claims that former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev urged US President Donald Trump to assassinate Zelensky and fix the “unfortunate little problem”.
Eyes on Abu Dhabi
The phone call followed an October 20 meeting between Stubb and Støre in Oslo. According to the Office of the President of Finland, the pair checked with Kyiv beforehand so they could pass Ukraine’s messages straight to Putin ahead of upcoming peace negotiations.
Both Nordic countries border Russia and strongly back Kyiv. Even so, the Finnish presidency noted that the two leaders spoke only for their own nations, not as envoys for Europe.
According to Ushakov, the call centered on restarting three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US in Abu Dhabi. “There were many questions on this matter and requests for clarification from our side,” he said.
Europe left waiting
Anyone hoping European powers will get a seat at the table soon may be disappointed. Ushakov made it clear that Moscow is not considering European representation right now.
“We are not looking at who might represent Europe at all, as that will be decided at a much later stage,” he said.
Despite the hurdles, the Kremlin aide had warm words for the Nordic outreach. “The phone conversation was, I would say, thorough and substantive,” Ushakov said, adding that the leaders agreed to talk again if needed.
