Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed this Monday that a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky is possible. The only condition, according to Peskov, is that experts from both presidents meet beforehand to prepare for the summit. The tone has changed in Moscow, which until now had ruled out a meeting between the two leaders, claiming that it would be possible if it yields results: that is, if the meeting serves to confirm that Russia has achieved the objectives of its invasion.

The Kremlin's shift in stance coincides with growing pressure from the United States on Russia. US President Donald Trump has gone from being conciliatory with Putin to expressing his conviction that the Russian autocrat has no intention of negotiating any peace. This July, Trump agreed for the first time to the transfer of US weapons to Ukraine, provided that they are purchased first by European allies. Furthermore, he has imposed an ultimatum that expires on Friday, August 8: if by this date Moscow does not demonstrate that it accepts a truce in the conflict and peace negotiations, he will apply a package of economic sanctions against Russia and the countries that purchase its energy resources.

The main country threatened by these secondary sanctions is India, the second-largest importer of Russian oil after China. The White House has targeted New Delhi, but for now is avoiding a clash with Beijing, which has already warned that it does not intend to stop purchasing Russian oil and gas.

Both Trump and Zelensky have been insisting since May that Putin accept the possibility of this summit. The Ukrainian president reiterated this demand on Friday and stated that his possible meeting with Putin would be coordinated in advance with the US and European powers.

Turkish mediation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also reiterated his efforts to ensure that the meeting between the two enemies can take place in Turkey. It is in Istanbul that Russian and Ukrainian delegations have met three times since last May, with little success, except for the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and deceased combatants.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated on NTV television on July 26 that his government has received signals from Russia that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky is possible. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also stated after the last meeting in Istanbul on July 23 that it had detected a more favorable attitude from the Russian delegation.

Moscow's draconian demands have made any steps toward peace impossible. The Kremlin has demanded that any cessation of hostilities must first include an end to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, the withdrawal of Ukraine from NATO, and the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from four provinces Russia considers its own.

Russia launched an offensive at the end of May for the summer months, advancing along the front at its fastest pace so far this year. It has just taken almost complete control of the strategic municipality of Chasiv Yar, in Donetsk province, after more than a year of siege, and is increasing pressure on neighboring Kostiantinivka. Above all, it is pushing hard to capture the city of Pokrovsk to reinforce its expansion in Donetsk and move closer to Dnipro province.

Ukraine, for its part, is intensifying its attacks on Russian territory with long-range drones. On Sunday, it partially destroyed a fuel plant in Sochi, and early this morning it attacked a train station in Volgograd province. This is the fifth Ukrainian attack in the last four weeks against the Russian rail logistics network that supplies weapons to the invasion. Ukraine maintains that Russia must feel vulnerable on its territory for the Kremlin to agree to negotiations.

"The preparatory work for such a meeting has not yet been completed," Peskov briefly stated in a public appearance."I want to emphasize that President Putin does not rule out the possibility of such a meeting after the preparatory work at the expert level is completed."

This position could also be a new maneuver to buy time and please Trump, especially at a time of rising tension. The US president confirmed on Sunday that two of his nuclear submarines have moved to waters near Russia. Trump's order is a reaction to a threatening message on the social network X by former President Dmitry Medvedev, a member of the Russian National Security Council.

"Peskov's statements seem like an attempt to delay things again, again without providing any specifics," Andrii Yermak, Zelensky's right-hand man, posted on social media."If the problem is only about preparations [for the possible meeting], this is not our concern, because we are already ready," Yermak wrote.

"The United States continues its mediation efforts to reach an agreement on Ukraine," Peskov added."These are very important efforts in the context of direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow." These remarks coincide with a visit to the Russian capital in the coming days by Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Trump's envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will also travel to Kyiv around the same time, before the deadline set by the US leader for ordering sanctions against Russia expires on Friday.