Putin claims “100% security guarantee” for Zelenskyy in Moscow

Russian state agency TASS reported the information.

“Not long ago, Kyiv ruled out the possibility of direct contacts with Moscow, but now it is asking for them,” Putin claimed, adding that he does not see much point in direct talks with Zelenskyy but is allegedly ready for them.

The Kremlin leader stressed that it would be “impossible to reach an agreement on key issues with Zelenskyy at this time” but insisted that Moscow remains the best place for such a meeting.

Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, echoed these statements on his behalf during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, according to TASS.

According to him, the Russian leader allegedly invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Moscow “to talk, not to capitulate.” He also stated that the Kremlin “is ready to pursue its goals peacefully, but if that is not possible, it will continue the special operation.”

Other points from Peskov include:

• Channels of communication between Russian and American intelligence services remain open.
• Putin “highly values Donald Trump’s efforts” and considers the relationship with him constructive.
• The Kremlin “recognizes Trump specifically as the President of the United States” without further judgment.
• In the “Ukrainian issue,” there is allegedly “light at the end of the tunnel,” but the timeline for ending the war cannot be predicted.
• Negotiations between Putin and Trump, Peskov said, are complicated because “each defends the interests of their own country.”
• Relations between Moscow and Washington, he stated, have suffered a serious blow, and it will take time to “break out of the paralysis.”
• Although contacts between the Kremlin and the White House continue, they “have not yet led to a full restoration of relationship.”

Peskov also confirmed that the Russian leader’s address to the Federal Assembly will take place this year, but the exact date has not yet been determined.

• Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister says Ukraine has “rejected addressing the conflict’s root causes, making the rest of the agreements impossible.”