Kremlin Evades Meeting Between Putin and Zelensky: What Is Happening Behind the Scenes

The Kremlin is evading commitments regarding a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, despite Trump's statements about initiating such a meeting.

After discussions in the White House about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia, the Russian side gave an evasive response. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated that 'the idea was discussed that it would be advisable to explore the possibility of raising the level of representatives from the Russian and Ukrainian sides,' without mentioning either leader by name.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia is not rejecting any forms of work, but emphasized the preparation of contacts involving high-ranking officials with maximum caution.

According to experts, Putin is not ready to meet with the Ukrainian president due to several factors, namely that he might recognize failure by meeting with the president of a country he does not recognize.
Tatyana Stanovaya from the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center explains that Putin views Trump as 'an assistant to the Russian vision of a settlement,' expecting that the U.S. will pressure Kyiv for more flexibility regarding Russian demands.

U.S. President Trump announced the beginning of organizing a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, but the very next morning he clarified that the decision is made by the leaders themselves.

On Monday evening, Russia carried out a massive attack on Ukrainian cities, launching 270 drones and 10 missiles.