Putin Signals Openness to Zelenskiy Meeting Amid Legitimacy Concerns

 

                      Women visit a makeshift memorial to fallen Ukrainian defenders at Independence Square in Kyiv.    

Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly willing to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but only after all major issues are thoroughly addressed in advance. According to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, any high-level talks would require detailed preparation by experts and ministers, ensuring that potential agreements are fully developed before leaders sit down face-to-face.

A key sticking point, Lavrov noted, is Moscow’s ongoing challenge to Zelenskiy’s legitimacy, as Ukraine’s presidential elections have been postponed due to the war. While Kyiv maintains that Zelenskiy remains the lawful head of state under wartime provisions, Russian officials fear that any deal he signs could be contested by future Ukrainian leaders.

Lavrov also suggested that the most viable framework for peace remains the 2022 Istanbul draft proposal, which called for Ukraine’s permanent neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. He criticized European leaders for allegedly undermining progress made during recent diplomatic engagements, including the Alaska summit between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The prospect of a Putin–Zelenskiy meeting, potentially followed by a trilateral summit with Trump, marks a notable—if cautious—shift in the diplomatic landscape, though significant political and procedural hurdles remain before such talks could take place.