Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared his willingness to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for negotiations, but he questions the validity of any agreements. Putin made the statements during a meeting with representatives of global news agencies on June 19 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2025).

Putin emphasized that the critical issue is not the meeting itself but who has the authority to sign potential peace agreements. He stated Russia’s readiness to negotiate with Kyiv.

According to Putin, if the Ukrainian state trusts Zelenskyy to negotiate, then Russia is willing to proceed with him. His concern revolves around the legitimacy of the signatory of any resulting documents.

Previously, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy was possible only after delegations from both countries reached specific agreements.