The Kremlin wants Putin and Zelensky to meet exclusively in Moscow

The Kremlin reiterated that, according to Moscow, a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is only possible on Russian territory, specifically in Moscow, Interfax reports.

During a briefing, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov rejected the possibility of negotiations on neutral ground and emphasized that this is Russia's long-standing position. At the same time, however, he claims that Moscow remains open to negotiations and continues to work at the working group level to help resolve the war in Ukraine.

The statements come at a time when Zelensky is pushing for a broader format of negotiations with the participation of the US. At the end of January, he insisted on a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, with further trilateral talks to take place in early February in Abu Dhabi.

US President Donald Trump has also rejoined the diplomatic process, stating that he still sees a chance for successful negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.

However, Moscow and Kyiv's positions on the format and location of the meeting remain significantly divergent.

(pir)