Russia says open to peace talks with Ukraine in third country

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said that his country doesn’t object to peace talks with Ukraine in a third country to end the ongoing conflict. However, Putin clarified that such a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would only occur after a long-term, comprehensive peace agreement is finalized, rather than to conduct negotiations themselves.

His remarks came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly said US would be willing to continue mediating Russia-Ukraine negotiations only if there is tangible progress. While the US does indeed wish to promote a resolution to the conflict, Putin clearly said that peace efforts remains a matter only between Russia and Ukraine.