On July 24, Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian negotiation delegation, said that a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could only take place when the two sides have reached a full peace agreement, ready to be signed.
Previously, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov proposed that the two leaders meet next month to promote the conflict resolution process. However, Medinsky opposes the idea, saying a meeting is only meaningful when the content of the deal is agreed upon.
The meeting should not be a place to resume negotiations, but should be the final step to sign the prepared document, Medinsky said. He stressed that it is important to clearly define the agenda and content of the agreement before arranging a meeting between Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also affirmed that completing the agreement was a prerequisite for the meeting. Although he has questioned the authenticity of Zelensky (who has ended his term as president of Ukraine since May 20, 2025), the Russian president has recently declared his readiness to meet the Ukrainian leader in the final stages of the negotiations process.
Zelensky, whose five-year presidency ended in May 2024, has refused to hold a new election due to martial law. Moscow believes Kiev needs to lift martial law and hold elections within 100 days to move towards a long-term ceasefire.
