Kremlin calls Putin-Zelenskyy meeting at G20 summit in Miami "impossible"

What Happened

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told AFP that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Miami is 'impossible'. Peskov said Putin is ready to meet Zelenskyy only in Moscow, and when asked whether the Kremlin considered an alternative location, replied: 'There is a readiness to meet him in Moscow.' There is currently no official confirmation that Putin will attend the G20 summit in December. The remarks followed Zelenskyy's statement, in an interview published on Saturday, that he would travel to the G20 summit in Miami and meet Putin if the Russian leader also attended. Zelenskyy told German journalists that if both leaders were invited, he would be ready for talks, saying all that matters are 'results'; he also assessed that Ukraine is now much stronger on the battlefield than it was last year, which is why Ukrainian authorities consider the current position favourable for starting negotiations. Background to the exchange includes visits by US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv last weekend. Washington continues to insist on direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. On 12 September, Kushner said at the YES security forum in Kyiv that the only thing missing for an agreement to end the war is Ukraine's consent to give up its territories within the boundaries demanded by Putin. On 7 September, the Kremlin said it was 'too early' to discuss the location or dates of meetings, and on 12 September Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Russia's invitation for Zelenskyy to visit Moscow 'a gesture of goodwill', while saying Russia would not halt the fighting for the duration of such talks.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The exchange highlights the persistent diplomatic deadlock over where and whether direct Putin-Zelenskyy talks can take place. The Kremlin's rejection of a neutral G20 venue and insistence on Moscow aligns with its repeated refusal of neutral-territory meetings, while Zelenskyy frames Ukraine's improved battlefield position as leverage for negotiations. Simultaneously, US negotiators' push for direct talks and Kushner's public reference to territorial concessions signal pressure on Kyiv that could shape any future settlement. The venue dispute is not merely procedural: it reflects competing framings of talks—Russia positioning an invitation to Moscow as a goodwill gesture while refusing to pause fighting, and Ukraine seeking neutral ground with results-focused conditions.

Watch For

Monitor whether Putin confirms attendance at the G20 summit in Miami in December, which would test whether a sideline meeting becomes possible. Watch for Ukrainian proposals for talks as early as September and any Kremlin response, after Moscow said on 7 September that it was 'too early' to discuss location or dates. Follow further shuttle diplomacy by US negotiators Witkoff and Kushner after their Moscow and Kyiv visits, and any statements from Lavrov or Peskov on whether Russia would halt fighting during negotiations. Also track any shifts in Ukrainian or Russian positions on territorial concessions, given Kushner's 12 September remark about boundaries demanded by Putin.