June 5, 2026
Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Zelensky
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ruled out meeting his Ukrainian counterpart any time soon, a day after Volodymyr Zelensky called for a sit-down between the leaders to end the four-year war.
Speaking at an economic forum in his home city of Saint Petersburg, Putin said he saw “no point” in meeting Zelensky until a possible peace deal had been agreed. Zelensky hit back saying the Russian leader was “weak” and “choosing war again”.
Putin also vowed to press on with Russia’s military offensive until its war goals had been achieved.
