Kremlin: Putin Could Meet Zelenskiy if Certain Agreements Reached

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs the Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Pavel Byrkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs the Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Pavel Byrkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
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Kremlin: Putin Could Meet Zelenskiy if Certain Agreements Reached

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs the Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Pavel Byrkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs the Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Pavel Byrkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The Kremlin said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but only if certain agreements were reached.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not specify what agreements would be required from Russia's point of view, Reuters reported. Putin and Zelenskiy have not met since December 2019.

Zelenskiy had challenged the Kremlin leader to meet him in Türkiye this week but Putin instead sent a team of aides and officials to meet Ukrainian negotiators on Friday for the first bilateral, face-to-face talks since March 2022.

Ukraine said it had raised the issue of a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting at the talks.
Peskov said Russia considered such a meeting was possible, but only as a result of work between the two sides to "achieve certain results in the form of agreements".

He added: "At the same time, when signing documents that the delegations are to agree upon, the main and fundamental thing for us remains who exactly will sign these documents from the Ukrainian side."

Peskov did not elaborate on that remark. Putin has previously challenged Zelenskiy's legitimacy as president because his elected term of office expired last year.

Ukraine, under martial law as it defends itself against Russia, has not set a date for a new election.



Russia Warns US Not to Help Israel Militarily Against Iran 

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov attends the BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 28, 2025. (Reuters) 
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov attends the BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 28, 2025. (Reuters) 
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Russia Warns US Not to Help Israel Militarily Against Iran 

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov attends the BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 28, 2025. (Reuters) 
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov attends the BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 28, 2025. (Reuters) 

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned on Wednesday that direct US military assistance to Israel could radically destabilize the situation in the Middle East, where an air war between Iran and Israel has raged for six days.

In separate comments, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, was quoted as saying that the situation between Iran and Israel was now critical.

Ryabkov warned the US against direct military assistance to Israel or even considering such "speculative options," according to Russia's Interfax news agency.

"This would be a step that would radically destabilize the entire situation," it cited him as saying.

Earlier, a source familiar with US internal discussions said President Donald Trump and his team were considering a number of options, including joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.

On Tuesday, Trump openly mused on social media about killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but said: "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now."

Israel launched air strikes last Friday against Iran's nuclear sites, scientists and top military leaders in a surprise attack that Russia condemned as unprovoked and illegal. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who in January signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, has called for a cessation of hostilities between the two sides.