Sources: Putin has no intention of holding a one-on-one meeting with Zelensky

According to the Moscow Times, Russian President Vladimir Putin has no intention of accepting Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's proposal for a one-on-one meeting in Istanbul, according to multiple sources in the Russian government, the Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin's inner circle. Hours before the Russian-Ukrainian delegation's first direct contact in three years, the Kremlin's secrecy about Putin's itinerary revealed Moscow's negative attitude. Although sources said Putin believed that Zelensky "did not deserve to be on an equal footing with himself" and would not consider a meeting unless the latter "publicly surrendered", Putin could not refuse outright because US President Donald Trump urged Russian leaders to engage with their opponents. Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat, pointed out that this silence was a carefully designed tactic: both to put Kiev and its allies on pins and needles, and to leave room for temporary changes.