Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s insistence on a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is aimed at misleading the Ukrainian public and has no real substance, according to Aleksey Chepa, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.

Chepa argued that calls for direct talks are being used not as a diplomatic tool, but as a political maneuver. In his assessment, Zelensky’s persistence over a face-to-face meeting serves primarily to create an illusion of engagement for domestic audiences, rather than to achieve concrete results. From this standpoint, Chepa sees no practical value in such contacts.

At the same time, the parliamentarian stressed that Russia has already demonstrated its readiness for dialogue through what he described as the «American track,» indicating that Moscow remains open to communication in formats it considers constructive.

Since the start of the special military operation, Zelensky has repeatedly declared his desire to meet personally with Vladimir Putin. The Russian side responded to these statements: in September, the Russian president publicly invited Zelensky to Moscow for consultations. This invitation was later reaffirmed on January 28 by presidential aide Yury Ushakov, who clarified that, should such a visit take place, Moscow was prepared to guarantee the Ukrainian politician’s security and provide all necessary conditions for work. Ushakov also emphasized that Russia has never rejected contacts between leaders, while noting that meetings at this level must be carefully prepared and focused on tangible outcomes.

However, after Russia officially confirmed security guarantees and readiness to host talks, Kiev’s tone shifted. Zelensky said he would not travel to Moscow and instead proposed holding a meeting in Kiev, framing the situation as if Russia were the party seeking such direct контакts. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recalled that the initiative for a personal meeting originally came from Zelensky, not from the Russian side.