Putin Says He Is Open to Meeting Zelensky in Third Country

Russian President Vladimir Putin said for the first time that he is open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a third country once a lasting peace agreement has been reached. Putin told reporters he had been informed by the Slovak prime minister that Zelensky was prepared to hold a direct and personal meeting.

The comments come amid ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine that began with the full-scale invasion in February 2022. No immediate response from Ukrainian officials was reported in connection with the latest remarks.

Putin indicated the meeting would occur in a neutral third nation only after negotiators had finalized a lasting deal. He did not name any potential host country or provide a timeline for when such talks might take place. Previous attempts at high-level diplomacy, including talks in Istanbul in 2022, ultimately collapsed without producing a comprehensive agreement.

Fico has been one of the more vocal European leaders calling for a negotiated end to the conflict. No details were provided on when or how the Slovak prime minister conveyed Zelensky's purported readiness. Ukrainian officials have in the past insisted that any talks must include a full Russian withdrawal from occupied territories, a condition Moscow has rejected.

>"I was informed by the Slovak Prime Minister that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was ready to hold a direct and personal meeting" — Vladimir Putin (Al Jazeera, 9 May 2026) Direct talks between the two presidents have not occurred since the early weeks of the war.

Most negotiations have been conducted at lower levels or through intermediaries.

Putin did not specify what concessions, if any, Russia would be prepared to make as part of a lasting deal. He also stopped short of announcing any unilateral ceasefire or pause in military operations. The remarks arrive as both sides continue intense fighting along multiple fronts in eastern Ukraine.