Zelensky says meeting with Putin floated at peace talks

Putin says he is ready to meet but only at 'final phase' of talks to end the 3-year war

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KYIV - Negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv discussed the possibility of a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during their talks in Istanbul this week, Mr Zelensky said in comments released on July 25.

Ukraine has been pushing for a meeting between the two leaders and has expressed hope that US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for the warring parties to strike a deal, could also take part.

Mr Putin has said he is ready to meet Mr Zelensky but only during the "final phase" of negotiations on ending the three-year war.

"We need an end to the war, which probably begins with a meeting of leaders," Mr Zelensky told reporters including AFP.

"In talks with us, they have begun to discuss it. This is already progress toward some kind of meeting format," he added.

At a fresh round of talks in Istanbul on July 23, Kyiv proposed holding the talks by the end of August.

The timing would roughly align with a deadline set by Mr Trump, who earlier in July gave Russia 50 days to strike a peace deal with Ukraine or face sweeping sanctions.

The Kremlin downplayed the likelihood of any imminent meeting, reiterating that it could only happen as a final step to seal a peace deal.