Peskov claims Putin open to talks with Macron and Merz, dodges on Zelenskyy call
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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov (Photo: Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS)
Vladimir Putin is open to talks with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, but dodged questions on whether he would answer a call from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed on Oct. 30.
Responding to inquiries from Russian state propagandist Aleksandr Yunashev, host of the Yunashev Live Telegram channel, regarding whether Putin would pick up the telephone if contacted by the French leader or the German chancellor, Peskov claimed that the dictator is ostensibly "open to dialogue with everyone."
However, when pressed on whether Putin will answer an incoming call from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peskov dodged the question, remarking only that "no one has called yet."
On Oct. 27, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a joint telephone conference from Helsinki with Putin to discuss diplomatic frameworks aimed at ending the war, with the Nordic leaders initiating the call. The exchange represented Putin's first direct contact with prominent European heads of government supporting Kyiv since July 2025, when French President Emmanuel Macron last spoke with him.
Following the call, Støre stated that Putin primarily reiterated Moscow’s established, unyielding war aims, emphasizing that deep divergences between the parties remain intact. He stressed that he and Stubb spoke strictly on behalf of their respective nations and that Western allies were briefed in advance. The phone call drew sharp criticism from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Subsequently, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov claimed that during the call with President Stubb and Prime Minister Støre, Putin reiterated an invitation to President Zelenskyy to travel to Moscow for bilateral negotiations. According to Ushakov, Putin pledged that all organizational conditions and personal safety guarantees would be extended to Zelenskyy in the Russian capital.
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, in an interview with the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat published on Oct. 29, stated that Zelenskyy remains prepared for a personal, direct meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to confront the most complex and delicate topics, chief among them the territorial issue.
At the same time, the foreign minister stressed that the Kremlin's proposal for President Zelenskyy to travel to Russia for talks cannot be taken seriously.
Sybiha underscored that the physical venue of the summit is inconsequential — provided it does not occur inside Russia or Belarus — adding with a laugh that the meeting certainly should not take place in North Korea.
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