Putin and Zelensky: Moscow Sets Conditions for a Meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, but under explicit conditions that call into question the legitimacy of the Ukrainian head of state. This was made clear by a statement from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who accused Western powers of trying to undermine efforts for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, as agreed upon during the meeting between Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska.

A Meeting Between the Two Leaders: An Opportunity Surrounded by Conditions

According to the Russian diplomat, any future meeting between the two heads of state can take place, but only after "all issues that require consideration at the highest level will be well-developed". Lavrov specified that for such a dialogue to occur, experts and ministers must prepare specific recommendations that will serve as the basis for a future agreement. A key condition set by the Russian side is the resolution of the issue of Zelensky's authority to sign peace documents.

Lavrov stated that Putin has repeatedly expressed readiness to meet with Zelensky. However, this readiness is tied to one understanding – when it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person signing on the Ukrainian side must be resolved.

Moscow Questions Zelensky's Legitimacy

Russian authorities have long expressed concerns about the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelensky, as his term expired in May of last year. Due to the state of war in the country, new elections have not been held. Kyiv, for its part, insists that Zelensky remains the legitimate president. From the Russian point of view, however, there is a concern that if Zelensky signs an agreement, the next Ukrainian leader could contest it, citing his expired term.

Lavrov stated that Kyiv shows a lack of interest in a long-term resolution of the conflict and described Zelensky's desire for a meeting with the Russian leader as "an effect in the style of KVN and "Kvartal 95"” that aims to show a supposedly constructive position, but in reality does not replace the "serious, difficult, hard work" of negotiation. The Russian minister recalled that Zelensky has still not repealed the decree from three years ago that prohibits negotiations with Putin.

Trump Acts as a Mediator, Europe Is Accused of Sabotage

Lavrov's comments come after a historic meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on Friday in Alaska. It was the first high-level Russian-American meeting in more than four years, at which the two sides discussed options for ending the deadliest war in Europe since World War II.

On Monday, Donald Trump confirmed that he had begun organizing a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, which would be followed by a trilateral meeting with his participation. However, according to Lavrov, this initiative is facing resistance from European powers.

He accused the so-called "coalition of the willing", which includes key European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy, of trying to undermine the progress achieved in Alaska. The minister stated that the "Western sponsors" of Kyiv have directed their efforts against Trump's initiative, whose goal is to find "long-term, sustainable ways to resolve and eliminate the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict". Lavrov added that European leaders are interested in inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia and are seeking to build security guarantees on the "logic of isolating Russia" and "containing the Russian Federation".

Old Agreements as a Path to Peace

The Russian Foreign Minister proposed the old agreements from Istanbul in 2022 as the best basis for future security guarantees for Ukraine. He recalled that at that time, a draft agreement was discussed, according to which Ukraine would accept permanent neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Lavrov warned that any attempt to move away from these already discussed parameters would be "hopeless_q_.