In response to the proposal for a meeting in Moscow, Zelensky stated: "I cannot meet with Putin in Moscow, just as he cannot come to Kyiv. I invite him to Kyiv, and let him come if he decides to do so." He made these remarks during a conversation with journalists.
The President of Ukraine noted that he is open to dialogue at the highest level if it helps resolve the conflict.
However, he emphasized that holding meetings in Moscow or Belarus is "absolutely impossible," explaining that one of these states is an aggressor that started the war, while the other is its ally in these actions.
In the fall of 2025, Vladimir Putin also proposed a personal meeting with Zelensky in Moscow, to which the President of Ukraine responded with a refusal, suggesting that he visit Kyiv instead.
After the trilateral negotiations held on January 23-24, 2026, in Abu Dhabi, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov reiterated this proposal. A similar proposal was made during these negotiations.
Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly expressed Belarus's readiness to serve as a venue for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
