Kremlin Points to Ukrainian Law Banning Zelenskyy from Talks with Putin- wna24

The Kremlin has highlighted a 2022 Ukrainian decree that legally bars President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising questions about who could participate in any future peace talks to end the war.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that while Zelenskyy had recently signaled readiness for negotiations, the legal ban remains in place. “He is still legally prohibited from negotiating with the Russian side,” Peskov stated. He added that it was “positive” that Zelenskyy expressed willingness to engage in peace talks but noted that “the details have not changed yet.”

In September 2022, months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy signed a decree ruling out talks with Putin. The move followed Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. The decree formalized a decision by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, reinforcing the country’s commitment to military resistance and seeking further Western military aid.

Since then, neither Ukrainian nor Western officials have publicly addressed the decree in the context of ongoing diplomatic efforts, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a negotiated settlement.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration suspended crucial military assistance to Ukraine, reportedly to push Zelenskyy toward negotiations with Russia. It remains unclear whether the aid will resume following Zelenskyy’s apparent openness to talks.

On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces continue to struggle against Russia’s military, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region, where Moscow has been advancing without achieving a decisive breakthrough. The grinding war has resulted in tens of thousands of military casualties on both sides, as well as the deaths of more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts are ongoing. French government spokesperson Sophie Primas said Wednesday that French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Zelenskyy could travel together to Washington. “It is envisaged that President Macron could eventually travel again to Washington with President Zelenskyy and his British counterpart,” Primas stated, though she did not provide further details.

Macron was expected to deliver a televised address later Wednesday on what he described as the “great uncertainty” in global affairs.

Since 2022, Moscow has insisted that it is open to negotiations but has indicated it does not expect talks to take place until a new Ukrainian president is in office. In the early months of the war, Zelenskyy called for a direct meeting with Putin, but the Kremlin repeatedly rejected the proposal.

With battlefield losses mounting and diplomatic efforts uncertain, the path to a negotiated end to the war remains unclear.