VLADIMIR Putin is ready to meet Volodymyr Zelensky, the Kremlin has announced.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his boss will meet the Ukrainian leader “after preparatory work is done at the expert level”.
ReutersAn explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike[/caption]
APUkrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions[/caption]
AFPVladimir Putin may meet Zelensky, the Kremlin has said[/caption]
Putin has previously rejected a slew of proposals from Zelensky to meet for negotiations.
But his change of stance comes amid pressure from Donald Trump on Russia to urgently agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine.
Trump’s deadline for a Ukraine peace is set to hit in just days after the MAGA prez cut the 50-day waiting period to just “10-12 days”.
This means the Russians just have till August 8 to strike a peace deal with Ukraine or else face criplling “secondary tariffs”.
Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean sanctions, which would further stifle Russia.
Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbour.
Trump has expressed frustration with Putin, questioning whether the Russian leader really wants peace with Ukraine.
In early July, Trump described having a good conversation with Putin over the phone, only to learn the next day that Russia had launched another attack on Ukrainian cities.
Trump reiterated that he was “very unhappy” with Putin since their last phone call made no progress on the Ukraine peace deal – something the US president has pushed for since returning to power.
But Putin has snubbed peace and is instead steadily increasing his overnight bombing raids – which could soon hit 1,000 a day.
Just days ago, 31 people died including five children after the Rusisans fired an Iskander missile into a residential tower block in Kyiv.
Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said over the weekend that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his invasion were “unchanged”.
“We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” Putin told reporters.
But he added that “the conditions [from the Russian side] certainly remain the same.”
It comes as Trump confirmed his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week.
The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday.”
Mocow today said that Witkoff’s visit would be important and helpful.
“We are always happy to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow… We consider such contact important, substantial and helpful,” Peskov said.
He added that a meeting with Putin was in Moscow’s diary.
Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.
Back in May, Zelensky had challenged the Russian dictator to meet him face-to-face to turn the screw and make a deal.
Putin instead dodged peace and said he would only meet him when there was a done deal.
Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.
Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join Nato.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
GettyUkraine President Volodymyr Zelensky[/caption]
The Mega AgencyDon has slammed Putin for his nightly bombing raids[/caption]
AFPUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L), French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) arrive to attend a meeting on Ukraine with German Chancelor at the Elysee Palace, on December 9, 2019 in Paris. – Russian president will for the first time hold formal talks with his Ukrainian counterpart over the conflict in […][/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
