Russian stall tactic: Putin will meet Zelenskyy—but only in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a direct dialogue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only at a location in Moscow, Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov said yesterday. The remark followed comments from Ukraine’s government the day before that Zelenskyy is prepared to meet Putin to work toward ending the war. Ukraine has made similar offers repeatedly in recent months, all of which Russia has rejected. Considering Russia’s well-documented attempts to assassinate Zelenskyy, the notion of him traveling to Moscow is absurd. Analysts view the remark as a stalling tactic by Putin, designed to prolong the war while casting Ukraine as unreasonable and unwilling to negotiate. To understand Putin’s biblically prophesied ruthlessness and impact, read The Prophesied ‘Prince of Russia.’