Putin open to talking to Zelensky but questions legitimacy

 Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he was willing to talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

Russian media reported this on Tuesday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov said Putin has repeatedly expressed his willingness to hold such talks but has raised doubts about Zelensky’s legitimacy.

“The legal formalisation of the agreements is the subject of serious discussion, given that Zelensky’s legitimacy can be questioned,’’ Peskov said.

Russia maintained that Zelensky’s term of office expired in May and that Ukraine must, therefore, hold elections.

According to Kiev, Zelensky’s powers remain under Ukraine’s current martial law.

The Kremlin often claims that Zelensky has banned negotiations with Moscow, referring to a decree signed by Zelensky in September 2022.

The decree does not prohibit negotiations with the Russian leader but states that they are impossible given the situation at the time.

Moscow has demanded that the decree be lifted.

Zelensky recently said that he was willing to talk to Putin.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov met for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other U.S. representatives in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

The talks focus on reviving relations between the United States and Russia and on ending the war in Ukraine.

The participants will discuss a summit between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Peskov said no date had been set for the presidential meeting, but that one could become clearer after the meeting in Riyadh.