Russian leader Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he is not opposed to meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in theory, but ruled out the possibility for now as “certain conditions” are not met.

Putin’s statement followed the Kremlin’s confirmation that a meeting with US President Donald Trump could take place, after Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met with the Russian leader on Wednesday.

After the Kremlin omitted Zelensky from the planned meeting, Putin said that it was because “certain conditions” were not met, without explaining what those conditions were.

“I have reiterated that I have nothing against that on the whole, it is possible… However, certain conditions should be created to do that. Regrettably, there is still a long haul ahead for the creation of such conditions,” Putin told reporters, as per Russian state media TASS.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin ”does not rule out the possibility” of meeting Zelensky but demanded that “necessary work is done at the expert level.”

Putin’s implicit rejection of talks with Zelensky – a key priority for Kyiv during the recent Istanbul negotiations – mirrored his usual stance of claiming openness in theory, only to cite so-called unfavorable conditions later.

When the US first proposed a ceasefire in March, Putin said the 30-day ceasefire proposal is “good and we absolutely support it but there are issues that we need to discuss” before questioning the effectiveness of the proposal, naming a number of “conditions that need to be studied” such as the enforcement of the ceasefire alongside a front line that stretches for hundreds of kilometers.

Witkoff’s Wednesday meeting with Putin

Putin’s statement – as well as the planned Trump-Putin meeting – came after Witkoff’s Wednesday visit to Moscow and before Trump’s planned deadline for imposing sanctions on Friday.

While the details of Witkoff’s meeting with Putin have not been made public, the Kremlin said the two touched on Ukraine and potential cooperation.

US State Secretary Marco Rubio said Witkoff returned with a ceasefire proposal from Moscow but did not elaborate further.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said there is a “very good prospect” for a summit with Putin and Zelensky “very soon” to end the war in Ukraine.

While he didn’t specify a date or location, Trump said he had “very good talks” with Putin earlier in the day. He declined to call it a breakthrough, describing it instead as part of a long-standing effort to end a “terrible situation,” adding he feels an “obligation” to end the war, even without US troops being involved.

Despite the positive tone, the Trump administration also imposed an additional 25% tariff on India – one of Russia’s key oil trade partners – over its continued purchasing of Russian oil, citing an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security and foreign policy.