Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but all issues must be addressed beforehand, and questions remain about Zelenskyy's authority to sign a peace deal, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday. Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump met on Friday in Alaska for the first Russia-U.S. summit in over four years.

After the talks, Trump said on Monday that he had begun arranging a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, followed by a trilateral summit with the U.S. president. When asked by reporters if Putin was open to meeting Zelenskyy, Lavrov stated: "Our president has repeatedly said that he is ready to meet, including with Mr Zelenskyy." 

Lavrov added a condition: "With the understanding that all issues requiring consideration at the highest level will be well worked out, and experts and ministers will prepare appropriate recommendations."

"And, of course, with the understanding that when and if - hopefully, when - it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person who signs these agreements from the Ukrainian side will be resolved," Lavrov said.

Putin has repeatedly questioned Zelenskyy's legitimacy, as his term in office was set to end in May 2024, but the war has prevented any new presidential election from taking place. Russian officials express concern that a future Ukrainian leader might challenge any deal by claiming Zelenskyy's term had technically expired.

Kyiv maintains that Zelenskyy remains the legitimate president.

Ukraine seeks 'strong reaction' from Washington

Zelenskyy said this week that Kyiv would like a "strong reaction" from Washington if Putin is not willing to sit down for a bilateral meeting with him. "I responded immediately to the proposal for a bilateral meeting: we are ready. But what if the Russians are not ready?" Zelenskyy said in comments released on Thursday from a briefing with reporters in Kyiv. "If the Russians are not ready, we would like to see a strong reaction from the United States." Despite a flurry of diplomacy in recent days between Trump and his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, the path to peace remains uncertain as the U.S. and its allies discuss possible security guarantees for Kyiv.

"To discuss what Ukraine is willing to do, let's first hear what Russia is willing to do," Zelenskyy said. "We do not know that."

Responding to a question about Hungary's capital, Budapest, potentially hosting future Ukrainian-Russian talks, Zelenskyy said it would be "challenging."

Hungary, Russia's closest ally in the European Union, has twice offered to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday.

War or peace?

European leaders say they are skeptical that Putin is genuinely interested in peace but are seeking a credible way to ensure Ukraine's security as part of a potential peace deal with minimal U.S. involvement. 

Lavrov, however, stated it was clear that neither Ukraine nor European leaders wanted peace. He accused the so-called "coalition of the willing" of trying to undermine the progress made in Alaska. "They are not interested in a sustainable, fair, long-term settlement," Lavrov said of Ukraine. He claimed the Europeans aimed to achieve the strategic defeat of Russia.

"European countries followed Mr. Zelenskyy to Washington and tried to advance their agenda there, which aims to ensure that security guarantees are based on the logic of isolating Russia," Lavrov said, referring to Monday's gathering of Trump, Zelenskyy, and the leaders of major European powers at the White House. 

Lavrov said the best option for a security guarantee for Ukraine would be based on discussions that took place between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul in 2022. At the time, Kyiv rejected that proposal because Moscow would have held an effective veto power over any military response to come to its aid. Any attempts to depart from the failed Istanbul discussions would be hopeless, Lavrov said.