Putin rules out direct talks with Zelenskyy, vowing Russia will achieve its war goals at St. Petersburg forum

Putin at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum ruled out direct talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he sees, "no point" in a face-to-face meeting. Zelenskyy had sent a letter proposing a meeting in a third country as part of efforts to end the war. Speaking at the forum, Putin insisted Moscow would achieve its goals in Ukraine. NPR's Charles Maynes reported from St. Petersburg that Putin gave no hint of setbacks or compromise on ending the war. He was asked about Zelenskyy's letter and said the offer was a waste of time. He noted the mocking tone of Zelenskyy's letter, which, he added, did dig at his age (Putin is 73). He also suggested Zelenskyy—"the author of the letter" rather than by name—was using the offer to stall Russian progress on the battlefield and rearm. Putin then claimed Zelenskyy had carried out an attack on civilians before addressing his own soldiers in Ukraine. "get to work, my brothers," a line that was met with applause from the audience. Maynes observed that this stance aligns with a broader perception of significant doubt about any imminent breakthrough on the battlefield. Ukrainian drones continue to strike deep into Russia, including in St. Petersburg, as the forum opened. Russian advances have been incremental, and in some cases Russia has even lost territory, creating an impression of impasse rather than clear victory. Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia In Global Affairs, argued that there is little chance of a diplomatic solution in the near term and warned that the Kremlin could escalate military activities to change the situation: "We see that on the level of diplomatic solutions, there is not a big chance that either country will change its position. So I would suggest, unfortunately, that we might face an attempt to escalate military activities to change this situation." Separately, Rodney Cook—White House official, Commissioner of Fine Arts, and participant in a cultural-diplomacy roundtable—addressed Putin during the plenary session and spoke of ideas for discussions moving forward. "I do give a good hello from your friend President Trump, and I am encouraged by everything that has happened since I've been here, Mr. President," Cook said. He implied there were many ideas for dialogue, though his briefing did not reveal a clear mandate. On the economy, Putin brushed off doubters and promised to get things back on track despite signs of trouble and recession forecasts. NPR's Charles Maynes filed the report from St. Petersburg. Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved.