FAQ

Zelenskyy wants to, Putin is keeping quiet. International pressure is growing to see the presidents at the negotiating table. Observers are tempering expectations. What are the signs for a meeting?

A tangible result of the Ukraine summit at the White House on Monday: Within two weeks, there will be a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. At least, this was announced by US President Donald Trump, among others.

Zelenskyy has been calling for such a meeting for some time. But so far, only Trump has announced that Putin is willing to do so. Moscow has so far only said that it is open in principle to any format for talks. So, how realistic is an imminent meeting between the two presidents? An overview.

What possible locations are there?

French President Emmanuel Macron initially suggested Geneva as the venue for the meeting. The Swiss Foreign Ministry promptly signaled its willingness to do so; despite the international arrest warrant against Putin, they wanted to allow the president to participate in such a conference and grant him immunity. Similar sentiments recently emerged from Austria.

Saudi Arabia or Turkey are also possible locations. Ukraine and Russia have held three negotiations in Istanbul since May. In a telephone call, Putin thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his support in the talks. On Tuesday, Putin spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; Russian-Ukrainian meetings have also taken place in Saudi Arabia in recent months.

After an initial conversation between Putin and Zelensky, Trump is also ready for a quick three-way meeting. His Secret Service is said to be making preparations for this in the Hungarian capital Budapest, as the website Politico reported. This has not been confirmed. Because Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is blocking Ukraine's rapprochement with the EU, Budapest is unlikely to be a neutral venue for Zelensky.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) expressed reservations about Budapest as a possible venue. He is currently in Indonesia and, in response to a question on this, said,"The talks, including the procedure, will be shaped by Russia and Ukraine, not by the German Foreign Minister in Jakarta." He also reiterated his call for Putin to agree to a meeting with Zelensky.

What exactly does Moscow say about a meeting?

A meeting with Zelensky is not being directly rejected, but is being postponed as long as possible. Moscow is open to any format of talks, said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."But any contacts involving the heads of state must be prepared with the utmost care."

There has been little progress in the bilateral negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, which have been ongoing since May. Several prisoner exchanges have been agreed upon.

Trump and Putin discussed the need to conduct the current direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv at a higher level than before, said Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov. But he also did not mention a meeting between the presidents.

Has there ever been a meeting between Putin and Zelensky?

Yes, and it didn't go well. It was 2019 in Paris, and Zelenskyy had recently been elected on his promise to find an understanding with Moscow. French President Emmanuel Macron and then-Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) were also at the table.

This so-called Normandy Quartet was intended to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which Russia had been fueling since 2014. But Putin let the Ukrainians down and made no concessions.

How can one assess the personal chemistry between the two?

With Zelensky and Putin, two very different personalities and backgrounds would clash. The 72-year-old intelligence officer Vladimir Putin has ruled his vast empire with increasing authoritarianism for a quarter of a century. He sees the collapse of the Soviet Union as an insult and has a score to settle with the West. He wants to make Russia the force of order on the European continent, and an independent Ukraine is a hindrance.

Zelensky, 47, was a successful comedian and television producer before entering politics in 2019. His record in government was mixed. But when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, he refused to be put off and became the global face of the Ukrainian resistance.

How does Russian propaganda portray Zelensky?

Since the Russian invasion, Putin and the Moscow leadership have painted Zelensky in the blackest of colors. Putin called him a"toxic figure." Nazis ruled Ukraine, the Kremlin claimed, and Zelensky is of Jewish descent. The Ukrainian president was vilified as a drug addict, a mindless puppet of the West.

Although Putin himself is only in power thanks to unfree elections, Moscow is questioning Zelensky's legitimacy: his term expires in 2024. Ukrainian law prohibits elections during a war. Zelensky, for his part, has repeatedly accused Putin of terrorism and even called him a"complete idiot."

Russia's propaganda, with its powerful television, would therefore have a hard time convincing the public of a turnaround. Putin would have to explain why he"is sitting with a president he considers a joke, from a country that doesn't exist." Ukrainian political scientist Oryisa Lutsevich of the British think tank Chatham House told the US broadcaster CNN.

What is the military situation for Russia?

The Kremlin chief sees himself on the road to victory. His troops are advancing in eastern Ukraine. He is confident that his country can mobilize enough men and equipment – unlike the smaller Ukraine. Therefore, Moscow expects that Putin will only have to meet with Zelensky or another representative from Kyiv if Ukraine capitulates.

On the other hand, the Russian advance is being paid for with heavy losses. Russian mobilization numbers are also declining. In the Black Sea, Ukraine is keeping the Russian fleet in check. The increasing number of drone strikes by Ukraine on refineries, energy facilities, and railway lines in the Russian hinterland are a nuisance to Putin.

So what are the chances of a meeting?

The request for a meeting came from Trump, with whom Putin doesn't want to spoil his relationship. The Kremlin chief wants to continue discussing strategic issues with the US, which could influence his calculations.

But expectations are low everywhere."I can hardly imagine Zelensky, Putin, and others sitting at a table and even talking about anything, let alone reaching an agreement," former Ukrainian ambassador to Moscow Volodymyr Yelchenko told Ukrayinska Pravda.

"To be clear: Putin will not meet Zelensky under the current circumstances," wrote exiled Russian political scientist Tatyana Stanovaya on Network X."He has repeatedly said that such a meeting is only possible once the right foundation has been laid, which in practice means that Zelensky accepts Russia's conditions for ending the war."