Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday expressed doubts about the possibility of holding a personal meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin by the end of August.

Asked if such a meeting could take place by the end of the summer, Peskov said that due to the efforts needed to bring the two sides closer together, it was unlikely to happen soon.

"We live in a time when it is difficult to say something firmly. However, given the efforts that need to be made to bring positions closer together and for us to secure our interests, it is difficult to imagine that this distance can be overcome in one leap," Peskov asserted.

Meanwhile, Ukraine previously stated that the meeting between Putin and Zelensky should take place in August.

This opinion was expressed by Oleksandr Bevz, advisor to the head of the presidential office, after a meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams in Istanbul on Wednesday evening.

"Any day of that month is convenient for our partners, including the United States, and meets the deadline set by President Donald Trump to reach a solution," Bevz said.

According to him, during the last round of negotiations in Istanbul, Ukraine already proposed holding a summit.

"This time, we also proposed holding a leaders' meeting because we understand that fundamental problems can only be resolved at this level," he noted.

O. Bevz expressed hope that"this time the Russian side will seriously consider the possibility of holding a leaders' meeting, as this meets the deadlines set by our American and European partners."