Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is not interested in meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The reasons for this lie not only in political manipulation, but also in the strategic vision of the war that Moscow has unleashed against Ukraine.
A political meeting with Zelensky would automatically give the Ukrainian leader additional legitimacy on the international stage. This is unacceptable for the Kremlin, as Moscow insists that the Ukrainian president is supposedly “illegitimate.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has explicitly stated that Putin will not make deals with Zelensky, citing this position.
At the same time, the cancellation of the summit is part of Putin's strategy towards US President Donald Trump. The Russian leader is trying to avoid a harsh reaction from Washington, in particular, possible secondary sanctions against Moscow's partners who continue to trade in Russian energy resources. Politico reminds: despite skepticism about the effectiveness of sanctions, for the Russian economy, which is already suffering from recession and budget deficit, their introduction would be a tangible blow.
For Putin, ending the war without a symbolic “victory” threatens domestic political upheaval. A withdrawal from the military economy would lead to fierce competition for resources within Russia itself and to growing discontent among the elites. The war not only allows for the justification of repression under the slogan of patriotism, but also destabilizes European countries, which are forced to deal with financial crises amid the conflict. This, in turn, weakens the transatlantic alliance and works to the advantage of Putin’s ally, Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Continuing hostilities is also beneficial to Putin because of the opportunity to gain additional territory and obtain “security guarantees” from the West, which will prove to be empty in the long run. The Kremlin hopes that the limitations on the size of the Ukrainian army after the war and the fatigue of the allies will create the conditions for renewed aggression in the future.
As former Trump Russia adviser Fiona Hill notes, the Kremlin’s main goal is a “castrated Ukraine,” incapable of serious military resistance. That is why Moscow is paralyzing the negotiation process with endless excuses, while blaming Zelensky for the lack of progress.
Thus, for Putin, war remains not only a tool for pressure on Kyiv, but also a guarantee of his own political survival, while he views the summit with Zelensky as a threat to his image.
