Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin anywhere except Moscow, according to Presidential Office adviser Serhii Leshchenko.
Speaking during a national TV broadcast, Leshchenko said Moscow could not be considered a venue for negotiations because it is “the capital of the aggressor state.”
“Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to meet Putin anywhere, but not in Moscow. Such a format of negotiations is impossible,” Leshchenko said, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
His comments came after Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov reiterated on May 9 that Putin was prepared to hold talks with Zelenskyy in Moscow.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly said he is open to a personal meeting with Putin, but not in either Kyiv or Moscow.
In an interview with Italy’s Rai Italia in April 2026, the Ukrainian president said potential talks could take place in the Middle East, Europe, or the United States.
“I am ready to meet with Putin. Of course, not in Moscow and not in Kyiv. But if he is ready to meet with me, there are many possible locations,” Zelenskyy said.
