Putin Throws Down the Gauntlet: Ready to Meet Zelenskiy — But Only in Moscow!

• By Thetripurapost Web Desk, Moscow
• Sep 03, 2025
• 661

In a dramatic twist to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine saga, President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday declared that he is ready to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy — but only if the embattled leader dares to come to Moscow.

The Russian strongman, speaking from China after a high-profile visit, didn’t mince words. While insisting he has “never ruled out” the possibility of talks, Putin openly questioned whether such a meeting would even matter.
“Is there any point? Let’s see,” he said with a cold smile.

Zelenskiy, who has long been demanding direct dialogue, now faces a fiery challenge. Adding fuel to the geopolitical fire, U.S. President Donald Trump — eager to cement his role as global dealmaker — has been pressing both leaders to sit at the same table.

But Putin raised the stakes further. He laid out his own conditions: Ukraine must cancel martial law, hold elections, and stage a referendum on territorial issues — a veiled reference to the four Ukrainian regions Russia claimed in 2022 in a move condemned worldwide as an illegal land grab.

The world now waits with bated breath: Will Zelenskiy take the risk of facing Putin on his home turf? Or is this Moscow gambit just another power play in a brutal war with no end in sight?