Source: Putin has no intention of having a one-on-one meeting with Zelensky

Russian President Vladimir Putin has no intention of accepting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal for a one-on-one meeting in Istanbul, The Moscow Times has learned from multiple sources in the Russian government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the inner circle of the Kremlin. The Kremlin’s reticence about Putin’s itinerary, hours before the first direct contact between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in three years, exposed Moscow’s negative attitude. Although sources said Putin believed that Zelensky “was not worthy of being on an equal footing” and would only consider a meeting if the latter “openly surrendered”, Putin could not refuse outright because US President Trump urged the Russian leader to engage with his opponent. Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev pointed out that this silence was a carefully designed tactic: it not only put Kiev and its allies on pins and needles, but also left room for a temporary change of heart.