Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he was ready to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky if he came to Moscow. At the same time, however, he expressed doubts as to whether such a meeting would make any sense at all.
Putin, speaking at the end of his visit to China, said he had never opposed a meeting with Zelensky. However, he reiterated the Kremlin's traditional position that such a summit must be carefully prepared in advance and must produce concrete results.
“I have never ruled out a meeting with Zelensky. But does it make sense at all? We'll see,” Putin said.
He explained that, in his opinion, Ukraine should lift martial law, hold elections, and conduct a referendum on territorial issues if progress is to be made.
He also expressed satisfaction with the work of his plenipotentiary Vladimir Medinsky in the negotiations with Ukraine. “We should propose raising the level of representatives,” he confirmed.
Regarding the work of Donald Trump's special representative, Steve Witkoff, he said it was not his job to evaluate it. At the same time, he denied a possible visit by the White House chief to Moscow.
Putin also stated that “every country can choose its own security guarantees,” including Ukraine and Russia. He repeatedly emphasized that he was against Ukraine joining NATO and stressed that he was not fighting for territory, but for “the rights of the people.”
Regarding the statements made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who called Putin a war criminal, he noted that this was an “unsuccessful attempt to evade responsibility for the tragedy in Ukraine.”
Putin also stated that “Russian forces are advancing on all fronts,” while, in his opinion, the enemy is “unable to conduct a major offensive” and has “fewer military reserves.”
He considers the visit to China to be positive and useful. He said that the agreements on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline had been in preparation “for many years” and had now been finalized. He described them as “mutually beneficial.” “We will ensure stable and reliable gas supplies at all times,” he said, adding that Russia would supply a total of more than 100 billion cubic meters of gas to China.
During the military parade in Beijing celebrating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Putin also spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un about biotechnology and the possibility of living to be 150 years old.
The meeting between the two politicians is also supported by US President Donald Trump, who is trying to mediate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
(reuters, sie)