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.
Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has secured a fourth successive election victory for his Labour Party, extending its hold on power, though with ...
Nicaraguan indigenous leader and former lawmaker Brooklyn Rivera has died in state custody at the age of 73, according to local media reports citing h...
At least 46 people, including six children, have been killed in a powerful explosion at a building used to store mining explosives in northeastern Mya...
Thousands of residents blocked Austria’s Brenner motorway on Saturday (30 May), shutting down a major north-south transport route through the Alps i...
South Africa's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered an unexpected setback after the national team failed to depart for Mexico as sch...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 31 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The United Nations (UN) added Israel and Russia to a blacklist of parties suspected of committing conflict-related sexual violence on Friday (29 May). The move prompted Israel to announce it would sever ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Ukraine will acquire 20 new Swedish Gripen E fighter jets and receive 16 older C/D models next year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday (28 May), in a move aimed at strengthening Kyiv’s air force.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 28 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has secured a fourth successive election victory for his Labour Party, extending its hold on power, though with a reduced majority compared with previous polls.
Nicaraguan indigenous leader and former lawmaker Brooklyn Rivera has died in state custody at the age of 73, according to local media reports citing his family.
At least 46 people, including six children, have been killed in a powerful explosion at a building used to store mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar, according to local media reports.
South Africa's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered an unexpected setback after the national team failed to depart for Mexico as scheduled on Sunday (31 May) because some players and officials had not yet received their visas.
Five people have died after a mine shaft collapsed during an illegal mining operation in southwestern China, state media reported on Sunday (31 May), just days after the country's deadliest mining disaster in more than a decade claimed at least 82 lives.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment