Putin Says Ready to Meet Zelenskyy Abroad for Peace Deal

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Saturday he is prepared to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on neutral soil, but drew a firm line: such a summit would only occur to formalize a finalized peace agreement ending the four-year war.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Putin referenced a recent meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, through whom he said he "heard once again" that Zelenskyy was open to direct talks. Putin maintained he had never rejected such a meeting and reiterated his standing invitation to hold it in the Russian capital.

"It is possible to meet in a third country, but only if final agreements have been reached on a peace treaty," Putin said, insisting any accord must be "designed for a long-term historical perspective."

Putin characterized the war as "coming to an end" while leveling accusations at Western leaders for attempting to "escalate confrontation" with Moscow.

Prisoner Exchange Stalls
Turning to the US-brokered ceasefire and a proposed 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap championed by President Donald Trump, Putin said Russia backed the initiative without hesitation.

"And we hope that in this case, the Ukrainian side will respond to the US president's proposal. Unfortunately, we have not received any proposals so far," he added.

Putin revealed that Russia had previously tabled a 500-for-500 exchange before Trump's proposal surfaced — an overture he said Kyiv effectively buried.

"The initial reaction was that we need to look closely, maybe not all 500, maybe 200, and then they completely disappeared from the radar and said outright that they were not ready for this exchange. They didn't want it."

While acknowledging that Washington is "sincerely striving" to bring the conflict to a close, Putin stressed that resolution ultimately rests between Russia and Ukraine.

On Friday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform regarding the ongoing three-day truce: "Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War. Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day."

Armenia's EU Pivot
Putin also addressed Armenia's accelerating push toward European Union membership — a significant geopolitical shift for the former Soviet republic. He said he had raised the matter with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan repeatedly.

"And we don't see anything special here. In fact, and he will confirm this, I've already told him several times, and I can repeat it publicly now: we will support everything that benefits the Armenian people. We have had a special relationship with the Armenian people for centuries, and if a particular decision benefits the Armenian people, then go ahead, we won't object. But, of course, we must keep in mind certain circumstances that are important both for us and for our partners," Putin said.

Pointing to the economic advantages Armenia enjoys within the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Putin argued Yerevan must decide promptly whether to pursue EU membership or remain within the bloc.

"It's none of our business, but in principle, it would be entirely logical to hold a referendum and ask Armenian citizens what their choice would be," he said, adding that Moscow would then "draw the appropriate conclusions" and pursue what he described as a "gentle, intelligent, and mutually beneficial 'divorce'."

Putin suggested Armenia's EU trajectory could be formally discussed at the upcoming EAEU summit in Kazakhstan later this month. The bloc comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

Armenia's rapprochement with Brussels has been building for years. Last March, the Armenian parliament passed legislation initiating the EU accession process, subsequently signed into law by President Vahagn Khachaturyan in April. Moscow has consistently interpreted that move as a signal that Yerevan intends to exit the EAEU.

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