Kiev, 28 January 2026 (dpa/MIA) – Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the war in Ukraine, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday.

Russia has never ruled out such a meeting, Ushakov told state television Kremlin correspondent Pavel Sarubin, according to a video posted on the journalist's Telegram channel.

If Zelensky is really ready for talks, he can come to Moscow, Ushakov said, adding that Putin had stated this several times. He stressed that such a meeting would need to be well prepared and focused on results.

Russia would guarantee the Ukrainian president's safety, Ushakov added.

Ukraine considers a trip by Zelensky to Moscow out of the question for security reasons.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had previously said that Zelensky is ready to negotiate sensitive issues directly with Putin as part of efforts to end Russia's war.

The most sensitive issues in the search for a peace settlement have yet to be resolved, Sybiha said in an interview with the Ukrainian portal European Pravda. These include territorial questions and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.

Russia is demanding territorial concessions from Ukraine as a condition for a ceasefire, in particular the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The Zaporizhzhya plant, the largest nuclear power station in Europe, has been occupied by Russian troops since March 2022, shortly after the start of the war.

Zelensky has repeatedly called for a meeting with the Russian president in the past, while Moscow has consistently been reluctant.

A meeting between the two leaders has also been a frequent topic of discussion in telephone calls between Putin and US President Donald Trump.

At the weekend, negotiators from Ukraine and Russia held direct talks for the first time in months in the United Arab Emirates, mediated by the United States. The talks are due to continue on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

Photo: dpa