Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is prepared to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky, but the question remains who on the Ukrainian side will sign the documents.
“I am ready to meet with everyone, including Zelenskyy. Yes, that’s not the issue — if the Ukrainian state trusts someone to conduct negotiations, so be it, let it be Zelensky. That’s not the point. The question is who will sign the documents,” Putin said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
There is no way to extend the powers of the president of Ukraine, even under martial law, Putin added.
“According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the president is elected for five years; there is no provision to extend these powers, even under martial law. It’s written there - read carefully,” he said during a meeting with heads of international news agencies.
If the head of Ukraine is illegitimate, then the entire system of power in the country becomes illegitimate, Putin noted.
“We don’t care who conducts the negotiations, even if it is the current head of the regime. I am ready to meet, but only at some final stage, so that we don’t sit endlessly dividing things but put an end to it. But the end must be definitive, with signatures from legitimate authorities. Otherwise, you know, the next person will come and throw it all away, and that’s not how it should be - we are dealing with serious issues. I do not refuse this, but a lot of work must be done,” he explained.
The Russian city of St. Petersburg is hosting the 28th edition of SPIEF from June 18-21 under the theme of "Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World."
The Rossiya Segodnya international media group, Sputnik's
parent company, is the forum's information partner.
