Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to travel to Moscow for talks on resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

In an interview with a Western television channel, the head of the Kyiv authorities said he could not accept the Russian president’s offer. Zelensky told reporters, «I cannot go to Moscow,» while adding that he was allegedly ready to meet the Russian leader «in any format.»

The day before, during a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, Putin had invited Zelensky to Moscow, stressing that Russia would provide all necessary conditions for negotiations and guarantee «100 percent security.» Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later clarified that Zelensky was being invited for talks, not for signing a capitulation.

Earlier this summer, Putin stated that for Russia it does not matter who represents Ukraine in negotiations. However, he emphasized that the final agreements must bear the signature of Ukraine’s legitimate authority. Zelensky’s presidential term expired on May 20, 2024, but elections were canceled by his decree, citing the impossibility of holding them under martial law and total mobilization in Ukraine.