Putin heaps praise on Trump but rejects ‘rude’ Zelensky meeting offer
Putin says he is grateful to ‘Donald’ but rejects Zelensky’s call for face-to-face meeting
Vladimir Putin has dismissed the prospect of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite an open letter from Kyiv proposing direct talks to end the ongoing conflict.
Speaking at an economic summit in St Petersburg, the Russian leader criticised Mr Zelensky’s communication, describing it as “rude” and lacking sincerity.
Mr Putin stated he currently sees “no point for now” in engaging with the Ukrainian leader. Mr Zelensky had published an open letter suggesting a face-to-face discussion to agree on an end to the war.
However, the Kremlin chief questioned the sincerity of the offer, saying it had “rude remarks”. He added: Was it a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the second.”
Earlier in his address, Mr Putin also expressed his gratitude to Donald Trump, though he added that there was “still some work to do”.
