Putin demands Zelenskyy come to Moscow for talks
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian president (photo: Getty Images)
The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia is considering only Moscow as the venue for a meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Russian media.
"Russia is currently speaking only about negotiations with Zelenskyy in Moscow. Considerations of another venue for talks are inappropriate," Peskov said.
The Kremlin spokesperson added that no response has yet been received from the president of Ukraine to the repeated invitation to Moscow.
Zelenskyy–Putin talks
The Kremlin has once again proposed that Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The president's aide, Yuri Ushakov, said that the aggressor state is putting forward two key conditions for holding such a meeting.
Such statements about a possible meeting between the leaders of the two countries have been made in Russia more than once. At the same time, Russians constantly put forward demands for holding it.
In particular, in May 2025, Dmitry Peskov said that such a meeting would be possible only as a "result of specific agreements" between the parties.
In addition, in August last year, Peskov said that Putin allegedly did not object to a meeting with Zelenskyy but demanded that it be "well-prepared" and conclude with the signing of a peace agreement.
At the same time, in September last year, the president himself said that he "does not rule out" a meeting with the president of Ukraine, but noted that for this, Zelenskyy must come to Moscow.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized his readiness for negotiations, including in a trilateral format, but rejected the conditions proposed by the Russian president.
The next round of negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine will take place in Abu Dhabi on February 1. The United States has said that its special envoys will not attend, and the meeting will take place only between Ukraine and Russia.
