Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he currently sees “no sense” in holding a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, responding publicly to an open letter published by the Ukrainian leader a day earlier.
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin argued that direct meetings had failed to produce meaningful results in the past.
“The previous experience shows that such meetings are used to buy time,” he said. “We need agreements, not meetings.”
Asked whether a meeting with Zelenskyy was possible, Putin replied: “For now, I do not see any sense in such a meeting.”
The Russian president said he had only recently reviewed Zelenskyy's letter after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov brought it to his attention.
Putin described the letter as containing “elements of boorishness” and questioned whether its purpose was to facilitate dialogue.
“What is this? An attempt to organize a meeting or an attempt to create conditions in which it becomes impossible?” he said.
Addressing references in the letter to his age and years in office, Putin dismissed the criticism.
“The author of the letter mentioned my age,” he said. “There are people who are older than me and continue to perform their duties. The main thing is efficiency and health.”
Commenting on Zelenskyy's tenure, Putin reiterated Moscow's position that elections should be held in Ukraine, referring to the expiration of the Ukrainian president's term in May 2024 and the postponement of presidential elections under martial law.
“Yes, I agree that elections should be held. The usurpation of power is a criminal offense, so there is no need to be afraid of elections, and it is necessary to hold them,” he said.
Putin also questioned Kyiv's reluctance to accept potential international guarantors for a future settlement.
“I do not understand why they do not want the US as guarantors,” he said. “They want weapons from the US, but they do not want the US to be guarantors.”
Referring to US President Donald Trump, Putin added: “Maybe it is because Donald was giving manners lessons to the author of the letter. ... We are all grateful to him, but there is more work here that needs to be done.”
.jpg.jpeg)