Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday (September 3) that he had been opened with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zlensky, but questioned whether such conversations would be meaningful.
“As for the meeting with Zelenkiy, I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting. But there is a point? We will see,” Putin told reporters in Beijing after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Putin added that he was ready to host Zelena in Moscow, but stressed that any conversations would require careful preparation and tangible results. “I’m ready to meet him, but does it make any sense to meet him?” he asked.
Prerequisites and suggestions
The Russian leader repeated the long -term Kremlin conditions for progress, including the abolition of martial law in Ukraine, organizing elections and introducing a referendum on territorial issues.
Putin again claimed that NATO membership remains unacceptable to Moscow. “We are against Ukraine that joins NATO,” he said, saying that Russian security fears must also be respected.
“Light at the end of the tunnel”
Despite the ongoing Putin war, he suggested that the negotiated settlement could still be possible.
“I think there is light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “Let’s see how the situation is evolving. If not, then we will have to militaryly solve all our tasks.”
He promised that Russia would continue to fight if diplomacy failed: “If the peace trade cannot be achieved, we will continue to fight in Ukraine.”
Battlefield claims
Putin argued that Russian forces were constantly progressing in Ukraine and that Kiev lacks reserves to mount a large offensive.
“Ukraine is unable to perform extensive offensive,” he said. “This means that Ukraine has fewer military reserves. The enemy is trying to connect holes by recruiting their forces.”
On Trump and the US Mediation
Putin also commented on US President Donald Trump’s efforts about the mediator’s peace and said, “They also expressed hope that these conversations would lead to the end of the conflict in Ukraine.”
When Putin asked Trump’s notes on the conspiracy, he replied: “Trump has a sense of humor.”
Putin abstained from the assessment of the work of Trump’s envoy, developer Steve Witkoff and said, “It is not for me to estimate how Trump’s Witkoff envoy works.”
Criticism of the German Chancellor Merz
The Russian leader also shot back on the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who recently called him “perhaps the most serious war criminal of our time”.
“Merz unsuccessfully tries to avoid the West responsibility for the tragedy of Ukraine,” Putin said, rejecting the accusation.
(Tagstotranslate) Vladimir Putin
