Putin Considers Face-to-Face Meeting with Zelensky

The Kremlin is trying to stall President Trump’s momentum on ending the war in Ukraine by claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to a face-to-face sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — but only if vague conditions are met, officials in Kyiv said.

Putin “does not rule out the possibility of holding such a meeting,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media on Monday — months after the Russian dictator stood up Zelensky for direct talks in Turkey at Trump’s behest in May.

But Putin would only meet Zelensky if “the necessary work is done at the expert level and the appropriate distance is overcome,” Peskov added, without detailing the alleged conditions.

“Peskov’s comment about a possible meeting “looks like yet another attempt to buy time” because it “contains no specifics,” Zelensky’s top advisor Andriy Yermak posted to X on Monday.

Still, he said Kyiv was more than willing to meet should Putin become serious.

“Ukraine’s position is clear: we are ready for a leaders’ meeting,” he said. “Our partners — all those who genuinely value peace — support Ukraine’s position that a meeting must take place.”

“We are grateful to President @POTUS for his consistency in seeking an end to the war and for his willingness to help bring this meeting closer,” he added, referencing Trump.

Peace talks in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine have stalled — with Moscow unwilling to discuss any steps toward peace outside of a prisoner of war exchange with Kyiv in their most recent discussions last week.

It comes after Trump recently upped pressure on Moscow, shortening a deadline for secondary sanctions targeting countries that purchase Russian oil to Friday.

“Trump now has the momentum and an upper hand over Putin,” former advisor to Ukraine’s ministries of Defense and Strategic Industries Yuriy Sak on Monday told The Post. “Putin knows this and will do everything to “kill” this momentum, primarily by creating a visibility of being negotiable and willing to talk.”

“In reality he will, if allowed, just continue tapping Trump along,” he added.

However, Sak said he believed “Trump already sees through Putin’s game and will not play along.”

Over the weekend, the US president even announced he sent two nuclear-capable submarines into the waters off Russia’s coast following anti-Trump rhetoric by Deputy Chair of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev last week.

“I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday, responding to Medvedev’s recent threats that “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war” on the US.

The momentum continues this week and next with scheduled visits by Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff to Russia this week and Keith Kellogg to Ukraine shortly after, officials tell The Post.

While the White House is “pushing hard for a deal” to end the war, Trump has become increasingly skeptical of Putin’s actual desire to stop the conflict — even questioning last week if his pending sanctions would be enough to bring Russia to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, Russian state-run news outlet TASS on Monday reported that Moscow is “unphased by Trump’s pressure.”

“Moscow maintains its steady stance on Ukraine despite US pressure and a planned visit by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff,” the propaganda outlet reported.