Zelenskyy–Putin meeting: Podolyak names key conditions for talks
The President of Ukraine seeks to meet with the Russian leader, as Russian negotiators do not have the authority to make decisions.
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Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian president Vladimir Putin is possible on the condition that sanctions are strengthened and the movement of Putin’s inner circle is restricted.
This opinion was expressed by Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in an interview on YouTube.
“There is definitely a possibility [of a meeting between Zelenskyy, Putin, Erdoğan, and Trump — ed.] if sanctions begin to work. Again, not just statements, but actual sanctions that start working, making the cost of war sharply rise for Russia and for Putin’s entourage,” he said.
According to him, organizing talks with President Zelenskyy also requires restricting international travel for the close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“This could work and force Putin to attend a meeting in order to fix the status quo that exists today,” Podolyak believes.
He added that this does not mean Putin is ready to end the war — the conflict would in effect be frozen, while the Kremlin would continue seeking ways to resume hostilities.
At the same time, Podolyak drew attention to the active role of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the peace process. He noted that if a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States takes place in Türkiye with Erdoğan acting as moderator, it would significantly strengthen Ankara’s regional influence and improve the international standing of the Turkish president. According to Podolyak, such a role could also help achieve political consensus within Türkiye.
“Because Erdoğan, as a global leader and moderator, would be ending a war that negatively affects, for example, revenues in the Black Sea region, including Türkiye,” he explained.
Mykhailo Podolyak states that Zelenskyy seeks a direct meeting with Putin, as Russian negotiators like Vladimir Medinsky and Sergey Lavrov do not have the authority to make decisions. Podolyak believes that negotiations involving the leaders of the U.S. or Turkey could lead to concrete commitments, which, if violated, would carry serious consequences for Russia.