NextFin news, On Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not against meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but emphasizes the need for thorough preparations at the expert level before such a meeting can take place.
According to Peskov, any high-level meeting must be well-prepared to finalize groundwork, which has yet to be fully completed. He noted that while Russia remains interested and ready for talks, the expert work required to prepare for the meeting is not currently in full swing.
Peskov also mentioned that Moscow has already handed over its main positions and proposals to Kyiv in written form, describing them as requests that require further discussion.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously stated on August 22, 2025, that Putin would only meet Zelensky after a meeting schedule had been prepared, which he said does not yet exist.
The Kremlin's position comes amid expectations raised by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had suggested arrangements for a Putin-Zelensky meeting might be underway. However, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov denied any agreement between Putin and Trump on such a meeting, clarifying that no formal arrangement has been made.
Ushakov also indicated that while there has been discussion about raising the level of delegations in Ukrainian-Russian negotiations, no concrete agreements have been reached.
Ukrainian President Zelensky has repeatedly expressed readiness for direct talks with Putin, urging increased U.S. pressure on Russia to facilitate such a meeting. Meanwhile, Russia has accused Ukraine of rejecting preconditions and questioned Zelensky's legitimacy as a negotiating partner.
The Kremlin's insistence on expert-level preparations and the absence of a formal meeting schedule remain key reasons for Putin's avoidance of a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky as of late September 2025.
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