Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the idea of a meeting with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy even as the Ukrainian leader reiterated his call for direct top-level negotiations as the only way to end the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday proposed implementing a ceasefire until a meeting can be arranged with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

May 2025, there existed the faintest prospect that Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine would join, sitting down in the same room for face-to-face talks. But it didn’t happen;