Zelensky says he is ready to meet Putin

Ukrainian President Zelensky said he was ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin anywhere except Moscow, while Russia responded by naming Istanbul as its preferred venue for potential talks, Ukrainian and Russian media reported on Wednesday.

Zelensky made the statement during his visit to the United States. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media on Wednesday that Putin is open to a meeting with Zelensky but cautioned that without thorough preparation, it would be essentially a “PR stunt doomed to failure.” Peskov also noted that Kyiv is not interested in Moscow’s proposal to set up working groups to facilitate negotiations.