Putin Rejects Zelenskyy Meeting Proposal, Says ‘No Point’ In Face-To-Face Talks

Last Updated:June 05, 2026, 21:51 IST

Putin rejects Zelenskyy talks and ceasefire, links stance to Luhansk drone attack, defends Russias economy, says Western sanctions hurt dollar and euro, touts multipolar order.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal for direct face-to-face negotiations, saying he sees “no point" in such a meeting amid ongoing hostilities between the two countries.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin criticised a public letter sent by Zelenskyy a day earlier that called for direct talks aimed at ending the war, now in its fifth year.

Putin described the letter as “boorish" and linked his rejection of the proposal to a recent drone attack in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region that Moscow says killed 21 people and injured dozens more.

“Is it a way to create conditions for personal meetings and talks, or create an environment which makes any personal meetings impossible? I think it’s the second," Putin said.

The Russian leader reiterated that while he remains open to negotiations, he believes a leaders’ summit should only take place when a final agreement is ready to be signed.

He also rejected Ukraine’s calls for an immediate ceasefire, arguing that Moscow seeks a broader settlement rather than a temporary pause in fighting.

Putin said Russia remains willing to compromise based on understandings reached during discussions with US President Donald Trump in Anchorage last year.

“Naturally, the Ukrainian side would like us to suspend the advances made by Russian troops. But it would be better to end the war by agreeing to the compromises that were discussed in Anchorage," Putin said.

The comments came as Zelenskyy acknowledged that global attention has increasingly shifted toward the conflict involving Iran and the Middle East, saying Ukraine cannot simply wait for Washington’s focus to return fully to the war.

Trump has publicly supported the idea of a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, saying it would be beneficial if the two leaders sat down together.

Putin Defends Russian Economy

During his address at the economic forum, Putin also used the platform to defend Russia’s economic performance and criticise Western sanctions.

He argued that sanctions imposed by Western nations had undermined confidence in the US dollar and the euro by demonstrating that foreign reserves and assets could be frozen for political reasons.

“The sanctions and blocking of Russia’s sovereign reserves have irreversibly impacted the standing of international currencies, the dollar and the euro," Putin said.

The Russian president claimed the global economy is moving away from a Western-dominated model toward a more multipolar system in which developing countries play a larger role.

He also sought to downplay concerns over Russia’s economic slowdown, saying the government had intentionally cooled economic activity to bring inflation under control and maintain fiscal stability.

Putin highlighted Russia’s comparatively low public debt and budget deficit while calling for the creation of a more flexible international financial system free from political restrictions and barriers.

The annual St. Petersburg forum, often described as Russia’s answer to the World Economic Forum in Davos, has become a key platform for Moscow to showcase its economy and strengthen ties with countries outside the Western bloc.

Despite continued Western isolation following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this year’s gathering attracted delegations from several countries, including Saudi Arabia, China, Tanzania and Uzbekistan.

Putin’s remarks came just days after a Ukrainian drone strike targeted an oil terminal and a naval facility near St. Petersburg, underscoring the continuing intensity of the conflict despite periodic diplomatic efforts.

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