Let Him Come If He Dares: Zelenskyy Invites Putin to Kyiv

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow is impossible — just as talks between the leaders in Kyiv are.

Zelenskyy made the statement while speaking with journalists, 24 Kanal reports.

What did Zelenskyy respond to the Kremlin’s invitation?

Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the “invitation” to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin.

“I can just as well invite him to Kyiv — let him come. I publicly invite him, if he dares, of course,” the head of state said.

The president emphasized that Ukraine seeks constructive agreements on a genuine end to the war and is ready for a substantive meeting where existing issues could be discussed and resolved.

According to him, if someone does not want to meet but, for some reason, cannot say so directly, proposals for talks in Moscow emerge — and, in general, it is clear why this happens.

“We take the need to end the war seriously. I have said that any genuine format for a leaders’ meeting is acceptable. I don’t know what result it would bring, but at the very least it would be greater than what is happening today,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

He also noted that the Ukrainian side has always advocated for European participation in the process, though he is not sure that the other parties would support such a format at the level of a leaders’ meeting, especially when particularly complex issues are involved.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is always ready for any negotiation format that can genuinely lead to an end to the war. At the same time, holding talks in Moscow or Belarus is impossible: one of these states is the aggressor that unleashed and is waging the war against Ukraine, while the other acts as its partner in these actions.

What did it all start with?

Recently, Russian dictator’s aide Yuriy Ushakov invited Volodymyr Zelenskyy to come to Russia. He emphasized that talks between the leaders should produce real and positive results for both sides.

Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready for a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin to discuss the most sensitive issues, including territories and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. At the same time, the Kremlin has shown no interest in such a meeting.

Currently, Kyiv, together with Washington, is preparing for the next round of trilateral talks in the near future. According to the plan, they are set to take place on February 1 in Abu Dhabi and may last up to two days.