In brief: Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov stated on Sunday, Nov. 1, that Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept a direct phone call from President Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming Putin has never refused bilateral dialogue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept a direct telephone call from President Volodymyr Zelensky if initiated by Kyiv, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov has stated.
Speaking to Russian state television network Vesti, Ushakov asserted that the Kremlin leader has never refused direct bilateral communication with foreign heads of state.
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“I think he would answer, of course,” Ushakov said when asked about the prospect of a direct exchange between the two leaders. “Putin has never refused conversations.”
The Kremlin aide’s remarks arrive after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha affirmed that Zelensky is prepared for direct leader-level negotiations with Putin to address the conflict’s most sensitive and difficult core issues, above all the territorial question.
Kyiv views leader-level summit as critical to progress
Sybiha emphasized that Kyiv regards a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin as a decisive prerequisite for breaking the diplomatic deadlock and unlocking substantive progress toward ending the war.
“We want this meeting and are ready for it,” Sybiha stated.
“Likely, only a meeting between Zelensky and Putin can impart new meaning to the negotiations. Zelensky is prepared to discuss the most complex and delicate issues, particularly the territorial question.”
Ukraine’s foreign minister underscored that while working-level delegations can address technical modalities – such as confidence-building measures, prisoner exchanges, and civilian protection – comprehensive political solutions regarding national sovereignty and borders require direct head-of-state engagement.
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Kyiv has consistently maintained that while it remains open to pragmatic arrangements such as freezing active front lines to stop combat casualties, Ukraine will never legally cede sovereign territory or formally recognize Russian jurisdiction over occupied areas.
Staged diplomacy and prospective November tripartite talks
Ushakov’s statements coincide with diplomatic preparations for exploratory trilateral consultations between negotiating delegations from Ukraine, the US, and Russia planned for the first half of November.
Speaking in Istanbul on Saturday following consultations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelensky confirmed that Kyiv is actively preparing for the tripartite format, noting that discussions with Ankara explored options to involve Turkey and European partners while evaluating Turkey as a potential host venue alongside Abu Dhabi and Switzerland.
Erdogan welcomed the renewed diplomatic momentum, emphasizing that establishing binding safety regimes for commercial navigation in the Black Sea could catalyze comprehensive peace efforts.
Earlier, Ushakov stated that Moscow would be prepared to resume tripartite talks after its Nov. 4 National Unity Day holiday, characterizing the upcoming session as exploratory in nature.
The sequencing of prospective talks also intersects with wider international summitry.
Ushakov previously announced that preparations are underway for a trilateral meeting bringing together Putin, US President Donald Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, scheduled for Nov. 18-19.
Ushakov noted that the outcomes of the Shenzhen summit would dictate whether Putin accepts Washington’s invitation to attend the Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ summit in Miami, Florida, on Dec. 14-15.
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