Russian President Vladimir Putin has never refused to talk with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told Vesti, according to TASS / News.ro. Asked whether Putin would answer if Zelenskyy called, Ushakov said: “I think he would answer, of course.”

At the same time, the adviser stressed that if the Ukrainian leader wants a personal discussion, he is welcome in Moscow. Zelenskyy “sends signals through various sources”; if he truly wants to negotiate, “he is free to come” to Moscow, Ushakov added.

The remarks follow Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha’s statement that Zelenskyy is ready for direct leader-level talks with Putin, including on territory — which Kyiv sees as a decisive condition for breaking the diplomatic deadlock.

“We want this meeting and we are ready for it,” Sybiha said. Only a Zelenskyy–Putin meeting could give negotiations new meaning, he argued, leaving technical issues (confidence-building, prisoner swaps, civilian protection) to working-level delegations.

Political solutions on sovereignty and borders, he insisted, require the direct involvement of heads of state — against a backdrop of conflicting signals between Moscow’s invitation and Kyiv’s call for a high-level summit.

Image: the Kremlin, Moscow (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0).

Sources consulted: Kremlin adviser: Vladimir Putin would answer Zelenskyy’s call - News.ro.