Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can travel to Moscow for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with security guarantees assured for the Ukrainian leader during his visit. Ushakov stated that Putin has repeatedly emphasized readiness to meet Zelensky in Russia if the Ukrainian president is willing.

The possibility of such a meeting has been raised several times in prior discussions between President Donald Trump and Putin, with Trump reportedly encouraging the Kremlin to consider the option. Ushakov stressed that Moscow has never rejected the idea of direct contact.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha indicated that Zelensky is prepared to meet Putin in person to resolve two critical issues in the ongoing peace negotiations: territorial disputes and the future control of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Despite this, Zelensky previously rejected a Moscow-based meeting, calling it a delaying tactic by Putin, and insisted that a neutral location or Kyiv itself would be more appropriate.

This development occurs as diplomatic efforts between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States intensify, with the next round of talks scheduled for February 1. A senior U.S. official noted that a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin, potentially involving Trump, remains possible, though past attempts have repeatedly faltered.

In 2025, Zelensky invited Putin to Istanbul for peace talks, proposing a three-way meeting with Trump, but Putin sent a low-level delegation instead. After a subsequent Alaska meeting with Trump, the Kremlin denied any formal agreement had been reached. Trump has publicly stated that Putin avoids direct talks with Zelensky due to personal animosity.

The last in-person meeting between Zelensky and Putin took place in Paris in December 2019 during Normandy Format negotiations, with no direct contact since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.