Putin Expresses Willingness to Meet Zelensky if Peace Talks Reach 'Final Phase'

Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled on Thursday that he is willing to engage in direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — but only in what he described as the "final phase" of the negotiations. But he again called into question the validity of his Ukrainian counterpart.

"I am even willing to meet with him (Zelensky) but only if it is some sort of last stage," Putin told an international press conference in St. Petersburg.

Putin said that Moscow aims to bring the current conflict in Ukraine to an end "as soon as possible," preferably through peaceful negotiations, and that Russia is willing to engage in further talks — as long as Kyiv and its foreign backers are truly willing to do so.

He went on to say that Russia is willing to negotiate with Zelensky, but the key is making sure that any final agreement bears the signature of what Moscow considers to be Ukraine's legitimate leadership. "Russia doesn't care who Ukraine's representative is in negotiations," Putin said, "but demands that any final agreement bear the signature of legitimate authorities."

Both the Russian and Ukrainian teams would be prepared to resume direct talks after June 22, Putin has stated.

I am willing to sit down with anyone, including Zelensky," he said. "That is not the question. If Ukraine wants to send him to negotiate, fine, let it be Zelensky. The question is, though, who is going to sign any documents that come out of this? We are not operating in the realm of propaganda here; for serious business, legal legitimacy is more important than political messaging.

He also threatened that in case Ukraine diplomacy doesn't work, Russia will depend on military methods to advance its objectives in Ukraine. "Certainly, if we cannot achieve an understanding in peaceful negotiations, then we will gain our objectives by military efforts," he stated.

Putin once again asserted that the aim of Russia's so-called "special military operation" is still Ukraine's demilitarisation — eliminating its capacity to sustain armed forces that Moscow regards as a menace.

The Kremlin has questioned President Zelensky's legitimacy on a number of occasions, a line it has pursued in trying to discredit the Ukrainian state since the war broke out.

In February, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Putin was still willing to talk to Zelensky, but stressed that "legal issues pertaining to his legitimacy" had to be solved.

Though most Western Ukraine allies have rejected these allegations, former US President Donald Trump has recently seemed to join the Russian perspective, referring to Zelensky as a "modestly successful comedian" who became a "dictator" who "refused to have elections.

Ukraine has been under martial law since February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. According to Ukrainian law, elections are impossible under martial law, and conditions necessary for free and fair elections — such as safety and equal access — are still unattainable because of the Russian bombardment of civilian space and infrastructure.

Putin informed Trump on June 14 that Russia was ready to resume peace negotiations with Ukraine after June 22, after the planned exchange of prisoners and dead soldiers.

When asked if he would take a call from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Putin replied, "If the Federal Chancellor wishes to call and speak, I have already said this many times — we do not reject any contacts."

We are always ready for this. They stopped, let them continue. We are ready for them," he said. But he doubted Germany's ability to play the role of a neutral mediator in the conflict: "I do doubt whether Germany can offer more than the US as a mediator in our talks with Ukraine. A mediator should be neutral.". And when we observe German tanks and Leopard combat tanks in the theater of operations… and Germany is even thinking about providing Taurus missiles for strikes on Russian soil… — here, naturally, great questions are raised.