The Kremlin has proposed a phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky instead of an in-person meeting, a move Ukrainian officials privately suspect would achieve little while avoiding the prospect of face-to-face talks Kyiv says are needed to address key issues in negotiations, the Kyiv Independent reports.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Oct. 30 that Putin was "open to dialogue with everyone." Asked whether the Russian leader would speak with Zelensky by phone, Peskov added that "no one has called yet." The comments came as Ukraine, Russia and the US prepare for talks in Abu Dhabi in November, which Kyiv sees as a possible starting point for a meeting between the countries' leaders.
The two presidents have not met since December 2019, when they sat down in Paris for Normandy Format talks mediated by France and Germany, and have held no direct talks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Kyiv has long argued that only a meeting at the leaders' level can produce decisions on Russia's territorial demands and security guarantees.
“They've already tried to do this over the phone,” one senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity. Ukrainian officials privately suspect Moscow is trying to arrange a call they believe would achieve little while avoiding the prospect of a face-to-face meeting.
Zelensky told reporters on Oct. 27 that "territorial issues can only be discussed by the leaders of the countries at war, and only at their level," adding that "no one else has the authority to do so." He has called for Putin to meet him in a neutral location, while the Kremlin, each time the idea of a leaders' meeting is raised, challenges the president to come to Moscow for it.
Earlier attempts at a meeting have failed. Zelensky invited Putin to Istanbul on May 16, 2025, proposing a trilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump; Putin declined, sending a delegation led by a low-level presidential aide. After meeting Putin in Alaska in August 2025, Trump said he was working to arrange a meeting between the two leaders, and later said Putin was reluctant to meet Zelensky because "he doesn't like him." Several people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent that Washington supports a leaders' meeting and that Trump could help arrange one, possibly at the G20 summit in Miami in December.
Territory remains one of the main obstacles to an agreement. The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected a ceasefire and demanded that Kyiv surrender parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts that Russian forces have failed to capture, while Ukraine has called for a ceasefire along the current front line.
A senior Ukrainian official questioned whether a phone call could settle key issues and security guarantees without the US. “We need a trilateral format with the U.S., plus some involvement from the Europeans,” the official said. Ukrainian officials fear Moscow's insistence on a phone call could give it another reason to walk away without making meaningful commitments. “Putin needs to come out of his bunker and take part in the trilateral talks,” the official added. “And personally confirm that he is ending the war.”
Moscow has signalled readiness to resume negotiations after a pause of more than eight months. Zelensky said the Abu Dhabi talks should seek concrete progress on de-escalation, including an energy and maritime ceasefire, prisoner exchanges and discussion of a possible trilateral leaders' meeting. "We hope for a result regarding energy and at sea, an exchange of prisoners, and a discussion of the possible format for a trilateral meeting at the leaders' level."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Whether contact happens by phone or in person may determine whether the hardest issues of the war, Russia's territorial demands and security guarantees for Ukraine, are ever negotiated, since Ukrainian officials say only the presidents have the authority to decide them.
- The November talks in Abu Dhabi will be the next test: Kyiv wants an energy and maritime ceasefire, prisoner exchanges and agreement on a trilateral leaders' format, and says Moscow must take part itself for talks to produce real decisions.
- The G20 summit in Miami in December is the most concrete possible venue for the first Zelensky-Putin meeting since 2019, but only if Putin takes part.
Background
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 ended direct contact between the two presidents. Territorial control in eastern Ukraine remains the central obstacle, with Moscow demanding Kyiv surrender parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and Kyiv calling for a ceasefire along the current front line. The US, under President Donald Trump, has been active in efforts to restart the process, including Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska in August 2025 and repeated Ukrainian invitations, such as Zelensky's proposal of trilateral talks in Istanbul in May 2025, which Putin declined.
Key Perspectives
- Kremlin: says Putin is "open to dialogue with everyone," notes that "no one has called yet," and has repeatedly challenged Zelensky to come to Moscow for talks.
- Senior Ukrainian officials: privately suspect the phone-call proposal is designed to avoid a real meeting, with one saying such approaches had already been tried, and warn that Moscow could use a call as a reason to walk away without commitments.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky: says "territorial issues can only be discussed by the leaders of the countries at war," has called for a neutral location, and wants the Abu Dhabi talks to produce a ceasefire on energy and at sea, prisoner exchanges and discussion of a trilateral leaders' format.
- Washington (people familiar with the matter, cited by the Kyiv Independent): supports a leaders' meeting, and Trump could help arrange one, possibly at the G20 summit in Miami in December.
What to Watch
- Whether the Abu Dhabi talks in November produce concrete results on energy and maritime ceasefire, prisoner exchanges and a possible trilateral meeting format.
- Whether Putin takes part in the G20 summit in Miami in December, which the people familiar with the matter suggested could serve as the venue for a leaders' meeting.
- Whether Moscow continues to steer contact toward a phone call, which Ukrainian officials read as a way to avoid meaningful commitments.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedUkraine suspects the Kremlin is proposing a phone call to avoid a Putin-Zelensky in-person meeting.Kyiv Independent: “The Kremlin is seeking to avoid a face-to-face meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin by proposing they speak by phone instead”
- SupportedPeskov said Putin was “open to dialogue with everyone.”Kyiv Independent: “Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Oct. 30 that Putin was "open to dialogue with everyone."”
- SupportedPeskov said “no one has called yet” when asked if Putin would speak with Zelensky by phone.Kyiv Independent: “Asked whether the Russian leader would speak with Zelensky by phone, Peskov added that "no one has called yet."”
- SupportedThe Kremlin proposed a phone call instead of an in-person meeting.Kyiv Independent: “The Kremlin is seeking to avoid a face-to-face meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin by proposing they speak by phone instead”
- SupportedUkrainian officials privately suspect Moscow is trying to arrange a call that would achieve little while avoiding a face-to-face meeting.Kyiv Independent: “Ukrainian officials privately suspect Moscow is trying to arrange a phone call that they believe would achieve little while avoiding the prospect of a face-to-face meeting.”
- SupportedA senior Ukrainian official said, “They've already tried to do this over the phone.”Kyiv Independent: “"They've already tried to do this over the phone," one senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.”
- SupportedZelensky said territorial issues can only be discussed by leaders of the countries at war and that no one else has the authority.Kyiv Independent: “"Territorial issues can only be discussed by the leaders of the countries at war, and only at their level," Zelensky told reporters on Oct. 27. "No one else has the authority to do so."”
- SupportedTrump said Putin was reluctant to meet Zelensky because “he doesn't like him.”Kyiv Independent: “Trump later said Putin was reluctant to meet Zelensky because "he doesn't like him."”
- SupportedA senior Ukrainian official said, “We need a trilateral format with the U.S., plus some involvement from the Europeans.”Kyiv Independent: “"We need a trilateral format with the U.S., plus some involvement from the Europeans ... But they're like, 'Well, just go to Moscow ,' or call us, but what good will a phone call do?"”
- SupportedA senior Ukrainian official said Putin needs to “come out of his bunker and take part in the trilateral talks” and personally confirm he is ending the war.Kyiv Independent: “"Putin needs to come out of his bunker and take part in the trilateral talks," the senior Ukrainian official said. "And personally confirm that he is ending the war."”
- SupportedZelensky said, “We hope for a result regarding energy and at sea, an exchange of prisoners, and a discussion of the possible format for a trilateral meeting at the leaders' level.”Kyiv Independent: “"We hope for a result regarding energy and at sea, an exchange of prisoners, and a discussion of the possible format for a trilateral meeting at the leaders' level."”
- SupportedKyiv argues that an in-person leaders' meeting is needed to address territorial demands and security guarantees.Kyiv Independent: “The apparent move comes as Kyiv insists the two leaders should meet in person to address the most pressing issues in negotiations , including Russia's territorial demands and security guarantees.”