Russia-Ukraine war: Putin-Zelenskyy talks on the cards? Kremlin teases the possibility but conditions apply

The Kremlin expressed on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to engage in discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "if necessary," although it raised questions about the legitimacy of Zelenskyy’s leadership.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that while Putin is open to negotiations with Zelenskyy, the legal grounds for any agreements would require scrutiny, given the doubts surrounding Zelenskyy's legitimacy as Ukraine’s leader.

“Putin himself said that he would be ready to negotiate with Zelenskyy if necessary, but the legal basis of agreements needs discussion considering the reality that Zelensky's legitimacy can be questioned,” Peskov told reporters, according to AFP.

EU's push to secure Ukraine’s future

In a separate development, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the European Union’s commitment to collaborating with the United States to achieve a lasting peace for Ukraine.

During a meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg in Brussels, von der Leyen stressed Europe’s role in supporting Ukraine both financially and militarily, pledging to increase efforts to ensure Kyiv's stability.

"Financially and militarily, Europe has brought more to the table than anyone else. And we will step up. We want to partner with the US to deliver a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. Now is a critical moment," Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X after the meeting.

This collaboration comes amid growing European concerns about the possibility of a peace deal between former President Donald Trump and Putin that could weaken Europe’s position. European leaders, particularly those in Paris, met earlier this week to develop a unified strategy in response to these developments.

Von der Leyen also noted the EU's significant contribution to Ukraine's defense, totaling €135 billion (approximately $145 billion), including $52 billion in military assistance that matches US contributions.

US and Russia begin dialogue, Ukraine left out of talks

Meanwhile, senior diplomats from the United States and Russia met in Saudi Arabia, marking the first high-level discussions between the two nations since Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. Despite the talks, both sides expressed limited expectations of any immediate breakthroughs.

The meeting, which took place without Ukrainian representatives, has raised alarms in Kyiv and across Europe.

Ukraine’s absence from the talks was confirmed by President Zelenskyy, who voiced concerns about being excluded from any discussions regarding the country’s future.

"We cannot recognise any things or any agreements about us without us," Zelenskyy said, according to Ukrainian news outlets.

The talks included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Saudi officials, including Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Musaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban, hosted the meeting.

(With inputs from AFP)