Putin Says Preconditions for Meeting Zelensky Still Unfulfilled

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that "conditions" for a potential meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky had not been met, hours after the Ukrainian leader repeated a call for direct talks. "I have nothing against it in general, it is possible, but certain conditions must be created for this. But unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions," Putin told reporters at the Kremlin. Putin said in June he was ready to meet Zelensky, but only during a "final phase" of negotiations on ending the more than three-year conflict.