MOSCOW: Zelensky is ready to meet with Putin when Ukraine has guarantees. The meeting will be possible when Ukraine has a strong position agreed upon with the US and Europe and receives clear guarantees, "this moment has not yet arrived," Yermak said. The Kremlin called Washington the "main counterpart" in the negotiations
A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be possible when Kyiv has clear security guarantees and a "strong position agreed upon with partners," primarily the US and Europe, said the head of the Ukrainian leader's office, Andriy Yermak.
According to Yermak, Zelensky clearly stated that he would be ready to meet with Putin "when Ukraine is ready for such negotiations." "This moment has not yet arrived," he said (quoted by Ukrayinska Pravda).
The day before, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky said that a meeting with Putin would take place only after Ukraine prepares a joint plan with US President Donald Trump and European countries to end the military conflict. "Only in this case will I meet. There will be no other platforms with compromises," he said. Putin calls Zelensky an illegitimate president, citing the fact that his formal term of office as Ukrainian leader expired in May 2024. Elections in the country were canceled due to martial law: the law on its legal regime (Article 19) directly prohibits changing the Constitution, electing the president, the Rada, and local governments under these conditions. According to Putin, negotiations can be conducted "with anyone", but the final document can only be signed with the legitimate government. Putin called the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk a representative of this authority. In response, he pointed out that, according to the Basic Law, until a new president is elected, the powers of the previous one, Zelensky, are exercised.
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow considers Washington to be the "main counterpart" in peace talks. "One way or another, of course, Ukraine will participate in the talks. Of course, there will be a bilateral Russian-American track of this dialogue, and a track that, of course, will be connected with Ukraine's involvement," he said this week.
On February 12, Trump spoke by phone first with Putin, then with Zelensky, and said that both leaders want peace. Russia and the United States have begun preparing teams for the talks.
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