Russia's Lavrov says Putin ready to meet Zelenskyy, but under condition
Photo: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Getty Images)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on a possible meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“When and if it comes to signing future agreements with Ukraine, the question of the legitimacy of the signatories from the Ukrainian side will arise,” he said.
Lavrov added that Putin is allegedly ready for a meeting with the Ukrainian president, but voiced a condition.
The Kremlin leader is ready to meet with Zelenskyy “only if all the issues requiring discussion at the highest level are well worked out.” Lavrov did not specify what exactly he meant.
Meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin
During negotiations in Washington, US President Donald Trump called the head of Russia and announced preparations for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
After the meeting, there could be a trilateral summit involving the leaders of the US, Russia, and Ukraine.
The White House proposed Budapest as the venue for the meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia. However, there is still no official confirmation of Budapest as the summit location.
Zelenskyy told reporters on August 20 that a meeting with Putin should take place only on neutral territory in Europe — for example, in Austria or Switzerland. He also did not rule out holding talks in Türkiye.
