The Kremlin has reiterated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is welcome in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, stressing that any meeting must be fully prepared and aimed at achieving concrete results.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Wednesday (28 January) that the invitation for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open.
He said Putin has repeatedly signalled readiness for such contact and that Russia has never refused the idea.
"Our president has repeatedly told journalists that if Zelenskyy is truly ready for a meeting, we would be happy to welcome him to Moscow," Ushakov said.
He added that the issue had been raised several times during Putin’s telephone conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump, noting that Trump encouraged both sides to explore the possibility.
Russia already raised the notion of a bilateral meeting in Moscow last year. Zelenskyy rejected the idea, instead suggesting that Putin go to Kyiv. However, this would be highly unlikely to happen, since the Russian president would probably be arrested if he set foot in the Ukrainian capital. Ukraine is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The body has arrest warrants out for Putin on charges alleging responsibility for "the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation," from 24 February 2022. Russia is not a State Party to the ICC.
Ushakov stressed that any meeting must be grounded in detailed preparation and aimed at specific outcomes.
"First and foremost, these contacts must be well prepared. Secondly, they must be focused on achieving specific positive results," he said.
He also said Russia would guarantee Zelenskyy’s "safety and the necessary working conditions," if he decided to make the trip to Moscow.
His comments came after Ukraine reported Russia carried out another wave of drone and missile strikes overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. The attacks on towns and cities killed a couple near Kyiv.
Local media said the woman’s four-year-old daughter survived.
Neighbour and journalist Marian Kushnir told Radio Free Europe the child cried and “shook violently” as he carried her from the damaged building, saying he had never experienced such emotion in ten years of reporting on the conflict.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes, including one he said hit a residential area in Zaporizhzhia with no military targets.
He pledged a response to the attacks and noted they came between rounds of U.S.-brokered peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow, with the next meeting expected at the weekend.
Ukraine said Russia launched an Iskander-M missile and 146 drones overnight, of which 103 were downed. Emergency services reported damage to a 17-storey building in Kyiv.
Strikes also hit Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih.
Three people were injured in Odesa, where a day of mourning had already been declared after an earlier drone attack killed three.
Officials said the port of Pivdennyi was targeted but continued operating.
Zelenskyy said energy and industrial facilities were damaged and that hundreds of buildings were left without heating.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "an...
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and outline a timetable for his departure. ...
The United States has launched an investigation into Germany's pharmaceutical pricing policies to determine whether they unfairly disadvantage America...
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for peace talks with Iran, as a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz threatened to complica...
Thousands gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, to commemorate the deaths of 16 people in the 2024 railway station awning collapse and renew calls for snap el...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing a “massive” attack on Ukraine, urging residents to pay close attention to air raid warnings
Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned of an impending massive Russian attack on Ukraine. It comes days after Kyiv carried out a major aeriel assault on Russia, including striking an oil refinery just 16km (10 miles) from the Kremlin in Moscow, sparking a major fire and killing four.
A senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will return a Polish state honour in protest, after Poland’s president stripped Zelenskyy of the country’s highest award over a historical dispute.
Russia's defence ministry says its forces have captured the village of Yurkivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, according to the Interfax news agency. The claim could not be independently verified.
A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "anti-Muslim hatred".
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and outline a timetable for his departure.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for peace talks with Iran, as a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz threatened to complicate a fragile 60-day ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
Thousands gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, to commemorate the deaths of 16 people in the 2024 railway station awning collapse and renew calls for snap elections.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 20 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment