Putin did not receive invitation to meet with Zelenskyy on sidelines of G7 summit or in US, - Kremlin
The Kremlin has stated that the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin did not receive an official invitation to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 summit in France.
According to Censor.NET, statements by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and Putin’s aide Yuriy Ushakov are being quoted by the Russian media.
Meeting at the G7 summit
"No official invitations have been received from Kyiv to arrange a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit," said Peskov, adding that "there are no contacts between Moscow and Kyiv".
Peskov had previously said that Zelenskyy might come to Moscow for the talks.
"If Zelenskyy is prepared to speak responsibly and seriously — in fact, the Kyiv regime knows perfectly well what this is about — then he is always welcome to come to Moscow, where he will be received", he stated.
Direct negotiations in the US
At the same time, the possibility of a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy in the US, brokered by the White House leader, was not discussed during Sunday’s telephone conversation between the Kremlin leader and Donald Trump, Ushakov added.
In response to a follow-up question on how Moscow views the possibility of such a meeting, Ushakov said: "No one has yet approached us with such a proposal."
What led up to it?
- On 4 June, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, published an open letter to the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, in which he proposed a meeting.
- In his letter, Zelenskyy proposed to Putin that they end the war "between you and us" and set a specific date for a meeting. Among the countries that could host such a meeting, the head of state mentioned Switzerland, Turkey, and countries in the Arab world.
- Whilst negotiations are ongoing, Ukraine is prepared to implement a full ceasefire, and the US could provide monitoring.
- The President of Ukraine believes that an exchange of prisoners of war on an ‘all for all’ basis could serve as a good first step towards ending the war. Mr Zelenskyy also emphasised the steps needed to secure the return of civilians and children who were taken away during the war.
- Russian dictator Vladimir Putin stated that he had read the open letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but "sees no point" in them meeting.
- On 15 June, US President Donald Trump, in a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, stated that, following discussions with the President of Ukraine and Putin, he saw an opportunity to step up efforts to bring Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end.
