Putin says he currently sees no reason to meet Ukraine's Zelenskyy

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled out any immediate meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Putin stated on Friday that he sees "no point" in meeting until the terms of a potential peace deal are agreed upon, a stance that prompted Kyiv to label the Russian leader as "weak" and someone "choosing war again."

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I see no point in meeting. It only makes sense for the Ukrainian side to stop the advance of our armed forces. That's it. And we need agreements.

Speaking at an economic forum in Saint Petersburg, Putin reiterated his commitment to continuing Russia's military offensive until its objectives are fully met. Russia's demands include control over Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and significant political and military restrictions on its neighbor, demands that Kyiv and its allies have rejected as tantamount to capitulation.

Zelenskyy had previously made a rare direct appeal to Putin, proposing a meeting to discuss ending the war through direct engagement. He suggested setting a clear date for such a summit. However, Putin dismissed the idea, stating, "I see no point in meeting. It only makes sense for the Ukrainian side to stop the advance of our armed forces. That's it. And we need agreements."

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Let the experts work, develop some solutions, and then we can meet.

Putin advised that experts should develop solutions first, after which a meeting could take place. The conflict, which began with Putin's full-scale offensive in February 2022, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties and displaced millions. Zelenskyy, after Putin's rejection, commented that the Russian side was "choosing war again" and that Putin's response was "weak."

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Unfortunately, the Russian side is choosing war again -- everyone heard today's response. A weak response. He simply doesn't want to end the war.

Despite international pressure and the economic strain on Russia, Putin vowed that the conflict would end only when Russia's goals are achieved. He also dismissed claims that the Russian economy was collapsing under the war's costs.

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Military actions will end some day, we assume. Without a doubt, they will end once we have achieved the goals we have set for ourselves.