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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ruled out meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon, saying there was “no point” in direct talks until a possible peace agreement had been prepared.
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said any meeting would only make sense after experts worked on potential solutions and agreements.
Zelenskyy had called for a direct meeting with Putin a day earlier, saying Ukraine wanted to end the war through direct engagement between the two leaders.
Putin said he did not see value in meeting Zelenskyy at this stage.
“I see no point in meeting. It only makes sense for the Ukrainian side to stop the advance of our armed forces. That’s it. And we need agreements,” Putin said.
“Let the experts work, develop some solutions, and then we can meet,” he added.
Zelenskyy responded by saying Russia was again choosing war.
“Unfortunately, the Russian side is choosing war again — everyone heard today’s response. A weak response. He simply doesn’t want to end the war,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy had proposed the meeting in an open letter Thursday.
“Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting,” he said. “I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.”
Putin said Russia would continue its military campaign until its goals are achieved.
“Military actions will end some day, we assume. Without a doubt, they will end once we have achieved the goals we have set for ourselves,” Putin said.
Russia has demanded control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region as well as broad political and military restrictions on Ukraine.
Kyiv and its allies have rejected those conditions as amounting to capitulation.
U.S.-brokered peace talks have failed to bring the sides closer.
Hundreds of thousands have been killed since Putin launched his full-scale offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”
Large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine have been destroyed, and millions have been forced from their homes.
Ukrainian authorities said Russian strikes killed four civilians and wounded seven others Friday in Mykolaivka and Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region.
Zelenskyy has said a summit is needed to address the key issues of a peace agreement.
His call for direct talks received support from key allies, including U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Zelenskyy is expected to meet Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Sunday to seek new momentum for diplomatic efforts.
The war has continued for more than four years, after Moscow initially hoped to topple Kyiv within days.
Putin also rejected claims that Russia’s economy is collapsing under the cost of the war.
The war has put Russia’s finances under pressure, with rising prices, tax increases and two-decade-high borrowing costs affecting many citizens.
“We, of course, hear criticism from all sides that everything has collapsed,” Putin said.
“We have descended to the same level at which eurozone countries have been living through for the past few years,” he added, saying Russia was pursuing a “sovereign” economy.
Asked by AFP on Thursday about Russia’s economic troubles, Putin referred to U.S. writer Mark Twain.
“Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” he said, rejecting suggestions that Russia was close to a full-blown crisis.
The St. Petersburg forum, once known as the “Russian Davos,” opened two days after Ukrainian drone strikes targeted the city.
Kyiv has stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil depots, refineries and export hubs.
The forum included displays of drones and machine guns, along with Russian-made humanoid robots and stands promoting investment in regions annexed from Ukraine.
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