Putin says he is willing to meet with Zelensky to negotiate a peace agreement.
The Russian president stated that interlocutors from Moscow and Kyiv are already in contact and plan talks after June 22nd.
247 - During his participation in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Wednesday (18), the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, declared that he was open to meeting with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, with the aim of negotiating a peace agreement that would end the conflict that began in February 2022.
The information was released by the Russian state agency TASS and reproduced by the newspaper Valor Econômico. According to Putin, representatives from Russia and Ukraine are already in contact and are discussing holding a meeting to define the principles of future negotiations. "I am willing to talk to any representative of Ukraine, including Zelensky," said the Russian leader.
Putin also cited as a positive sign the recent agreement between the two countries for the exchange of prisoners and bodies of dead fighters, which he interpreted as an indication that there is room for dialogue. The president added that talks should take place after June 22, but did not specify the location or format of the possible meeting.
During the same event, Putin commented on statements by US President Donald Trump, stating that the Republican is right in saying that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could have been avoided if he were still president in 2022. This statement is seen as an attempt to signal openness to US mediation, especially in the context of the current US election campaign.
The Kremlin chief also commented, in a critical tone, on the recent tensions in the Middle East, saying he "didn't even want to discuss" the possibility of the US attacking Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Putin, the moment calls for a reduction in tensions and a search for regional stability.
Uncertainties
Despite signals from Moscow, there is still no confirmation from Ukraine regarding a possible meeting between the two presidents. Zelensky has insisted, since the beginning of the conflict, that any peace agreement must guarantee the country's territorial integrity, including the return of regions occupied by Russia, such as Crimea and parts of Donbass.
The meeting, should it take place, will be the first between the two leaders since the start of the war and could mark a turning point in the diplomatic impasse. However, there are still no guarantees that the interests of the parties can be reconciled.
