Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can come to Moscow any time if he wishes to hold talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday, reported Xinhua.
Zelensky published a letter earlier Thursday proposing a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the participation of Europe and the United States, to discuss the peace process.
"Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting," Zelensky wrote in the letter.
Zelensky also called for setting a clear date for the meeting and said that Ukraine stands prepared for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations.
He noted that Switzerland, Türkiye, and some Arab countries have expressed readiness to host such talks.
Peskov said the Kremlin has reviewed the letter and will report to Putin after his working meeting.
"President Putin has said that if Zelensky wants to talk, he can come to Moscow and do so," Peskov said.
Commenting on U.S. efforts to help settle the Ukraine conflict, Peskov said Russia has never idealized the United States' role and that its national interests remain the top priority.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia has not rejected dialogue with European countries,.
At a meeting with the heads of major international news agencies attending the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said Europe's assistance to Ukraine undermines its neutrality as a mediator in the peace negotiations.
"It's one thing to take part in the negotiations, and quite another to be a mediator," he said.
Despite this, Russia is not refusing contact with Europe, Putin said, adding that he was surprised to hear rhetoric of "a spiteful Russia" that stopped supplying energy to Europe.
Russia had not stopped supplying energy to Europe, but "Europe simply refused to buy, hoping that everything would collapse for us," he said.
Commenting on possible candidates for talks with Russia, Putin said Moscow was not imposing anything, but they should be people Russia can trust.
He added that such discussions could take place at the level of foreign ministries or the intelligence services.
He also said that Russia is ready to reach an agreement with Ukraine through peaceful means and is willing to accept compromises.
Putin said Russia remains prepared to pursue a negotiated settlement based on a framework discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting in Anchorage in August 2025.
He said Russia is ready to accept the compromises discussed at the meeting and expressed hope that the Ukrainian side would also agree to them.
Meanwhile, Putin said Russian troops are advancing along the entire line of contact and have taken complete control of the Luhansk region, 85 percent of the Donetsk region and 80 percent of the Zaporizhzhia region.
He said there is no need for a suspension of hostilities to begin negotiations on Ukraine, and it would be better to stop the war as a whole rather than reach a ceasefire.
The Russian president also said that potential agreements between Russia and Ukraine will be "historical documents."
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Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
