Zelensky says he’s ready for talks with Putin

The Ukrainian leader has stated he considers the Russian president “an enemy” and believes the feeling is mutual

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has expressed readiness to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin if it is the only option to bring the Ukraine conflict to its end. 

He made the remarks during an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, with excerpts published on Tuesday. When asked if he was prepared to meet with the Russian president, Zelensky indicated his willingness to do so.

“If that is the only setup in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely we will go for this setup, for this meeting,” he said. “What is my attitude to him [Putin]? I will not be kind to him and I… consider him an enemy. And to be honest, I believe he considers me an enemy as well,” he stated.

The remarks appear to reflect an apparent shift in Zelensky’s stance. He had repeatedly refused to negotiate with Putin in the past and even signed a decree explicitly banning any negotiations with Moscow and President Vladimir Putin specifically. Last month, Zelensky claimed the ban applied to all Ukrainian officials except himself, while the original 2022 decree only stated that such negotiations were “impossible” without specifying any individuals or entities prohibited from engaging in them.

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Last week, Putin reiterated Moscow’s position that Zelensky lacks the legitimacy to sign any agreement, given that his presidential term expired in May 2024 and no constitutional mechanism exists to extend it. However, the Russian president stated that he was willing to send negotiators to talk to Zelensky if the latter was open to discussions.

“It’s possible to negotiate with anyone. However, due to his illegitimacy, [Zelensky] has no right to sign anything. If he wishes to participate in talks, I will deploy people who will conduct such negotiations,” Putin said.

The Ukrainian decree banning negotiations with Russia remains a major obstacle to any meaningful talks between Kiev and Moscow, Putin suggested. Additionally, he pledged to deploy a team of legal experts to assess the authority of any Ukrainian negotiating team and determine whether they had the proper legal standing to sign an agreement.

“If we start negotiations now, they will be illegitimate… Because when the current head of the regime – that’s the only way to call [Zelensky] today – signed this decree, he was a somewhat legitimate president. But now he can’t cancel it because he is illegitimate. That’s the trick, the catch, the trap,” Putin explained.