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Russian President Vladimir Putin would answer a phone call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if he called, the Kremlin has said, as preparations continue for another round of US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi this month.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin had never refused negotiations with Ukraine.
“I think he would certainly answer. Putin has never refused talks,” Ushakov said.
The remarks came ahead of the planned trilateral discussions involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi.
The two leaders have not met or spoken directly by phone since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Their last face-to-face meeting took place in December 2019 during Normandy-format talks mediated by France and Germany.
Kyiv has repeatedly called for a direct meeting between the two leaders. Last July, Zelensky also wrote an open letter to Putin urging direct talks to end the war.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Putin was willing to engage in dialogue with everyone, adding that nobody had yet called him.
Peskov said the initial phase of peace negotiations should involve Russia, Ukraine and the United States, arguing that a trilateral format would be the most logical starting point given Moscow’s regular contacts with Washington.
Ushakov, however, said Europe should also be involved in the negotiations, citing its important role in reaching a settlement.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources told The Telegraph that Moscow could use the upcoming Abu Dhabi talks to seek concessions on NATO’s defence arrangements and expansion, which Putin has repeatedly identified as a major cause of the conflict.
Separately, reports said the Pentagon had advised NATO members to exercise restraint in publicly warning about Russian threats to avoid provoking Moscow.
People familiar with the matter told Reuters that some NATO allies, including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, had been urged to avoid strong public statements condemning Russia, as such remarks could undermine the security situation.
