Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov announces that there are currently no arrangements for a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting.
Rumours of a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have been circulating, with the conflict between the two nations being discussed in the context of potential talks. However, the Kremlin has not specified a timeline for the summit, and no specific date has been announced.
The war in question is the conflict that started with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The summit is contingent upon the resolution of differences between Russia and Ukraine, and dependent on the progress of the peace negotiations. The proposed talks are being suggested by US President Donald Trump as part of efforts to end the war.
Washington's proposed conditions for the talks include Ukraine's non-membership in NATO and territorial concessions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that there are currently no plans for a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, and he also mentioned that an agenda for such a summit is not ready. Lavrov added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected these conditions outright.
Lavrov noted that the summit should only occur at the final stage of peace negotiations. The summit is seen as a potential final step in the peace negotiations, but uncertainty remains over whether talks between Putin and Zelenskyy will take place.
The last officially mentioned time for a meeting between the two leaders was announced in mid-August 2025, when the White House stated that Putin had promised to meet Zelenskyy in the coming weeks following a summit on August 18, 2025, in Washington. However, Russia did not officially confirm this, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz later declared that such a bilateral meeting would not take place amid ongoing hostilities.
The Kremlin does not rule out a Putin-Zelenskyy summit, but the conflict's complex nature and the sharply opposing positions of both nations make the prospect of a resolution challenging. The summit, if it does occur, will be a significant step towards ending the conflict and bringing peace to the region.
