Putin Dismisses Zelenskiy’s Call for Direct Meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the idea of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, saying "How can such meetings be held under these conditions? What is there to talk about?" Zelenskiy reiterated his call for direct top-level negotiations, saying that Russia's maximalist demands mean there's no point in continuing with lower-level talks, but stressed he remains willing to meet directly with Putin.