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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has turned down Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation for talks in Moscow, citing ongoing missile strikes on his country. Zelenskyy said in an interview with foreign media on Friday (local time) that he cannot visit the capital of a nation that continues to attack Ukraine daily, suggesting that if Putin truly wanted dialogue, he should travel to Kyiv.
Zelenskyy calls Moscow offer unacceptable
“He can come to Kyiv. If a person doesn’t want to meet during the war, of course, he can propose something which is acceptable to me or the other. It’s understandable; I can’t go to Moscow when my country’s under missiles, under attack, each day. I can’t go to the capital of this terrorist,” Zelenskyy said.
He further accused the Russian president of turning the proposal into a political ploy rather than a genuine peace effort.
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‘Playing games with the US’
“And he understands it… He is doing it to postpone the meeting. He is playing games, and he is playing games with the United States,” Zelenskyy added. His remarks followed Putin’s recent suggestion that a meeting could be held in Moscow if it was “well-prepared” and aimed at achieving a “constructive outcome.”
Putin signals conditional openness
During a press briefing after his four-day visit to China, Putin reiterated that he had “never ruled out” dialogue with Zelenskyy, but underlined that it must align with Ukraine’s constitutional framework.
“I’ve already said that I’ve never ruled out such a meeting, but whether this can be meaningful in accordance with the Ukrainian constitution… It is possible; I never rule this out. If the meeting is well-prepared and leads to a positive potential outcome, it is possible. And by the way, Donald (Trump) asked me if it’s possible to have such a meeting, and I said that it is. After all, if Zelenskyy is ready, he can come to Moscow. This is quite possible,” he stated.
NATO membership remains red line
Putin also restated his opposition to Ukraine joining NATO, calling it a direct threat to Russia’s national security, though he expressed little objection to Kyiv pursuing European Union membership.
“We always opposed the idea of Ukraine becoming a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, but we never doubted its right to engage in its economic activities in any way it likes, and that includes EU membership,” he stated.
Ukraine pushes for neutral venues
Following Putin’s remarks, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticised the Russian leader, highlighting that at least seven countries had already offered to host talks, making Moscow’s proposal “knowingly unacceptable.”
“Right now, at least seven countries are ready to host a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to the war. Austria, the Holy See, Switzerland, Turkiye, and three Gulf states. These are serious proposals, and President Zelenskyy is ready for such a meeting at any point in time. Yet, Putin continues to mess around with everyone by making knowingly unacceptable proposals. Only increased pressure can force Russia to finally get serious about the peace process,” Sybiha said in a post on X.
(With inputs from ANI)
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