RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "KREMLIN PRESS OFFICE" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO — EDITORIAL USE ONLY —

SHOTLIST:

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPT. 3, 2025) (KREMLIN PRESS OFFICE - RESTRICTED)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SPEAKING AT PRESS CONFERENCE, SAYING:

"As for possible meetings with Mr. Zelensky, I have already spoken about this. In general, I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting. Is there any point in these meetings? Let’s see. According to the Constitution of Ukraine—some may agree, some may not—you just need to carefully read the text. There are no provisions in the Constitution of Ukraine for extending the powers of the president. None at all. A president is elected for five years; five years pass, and that’s it. His term ends.

There is a provision stating that elections are not held under martial law. Yes, that is true. But that does not mean the president’s powers are extended. It means that his powers expire, and his authority is transferred to the speaker of the parliament, including his powers as Commander-in-Chief.

So, what should the current authorities do if they want to remain legitimate and take full part in the regulatory processes? They must hold elections. Or rather, not elections first—according to the Constitution of Ukraine, any issues regarding territories must be decided by a referendum, as far as I remember. But a referendum cannot be held under martial law. This is also a constitutional provision.

Therefore, in order to hold a referendum, martial law must be lifted. But as soon as that is done, elections must be held. And this process could drag on endlessly. The outcome of the elections is unclear, but whatever it may be, it must then be confirmed by a ruling of the Constitutional Court, as stated in the Constitution.

And how can a ruling be obtained from the Constitutional Court if, after the authorities demanded that it confirm an extension of the president’s powers, the court effectively refused to do so? What happened then in Ukraine is almost absurd: the security guards stopped allowing the chairman of the Constitutional Court into his office. That’s it—the story ended there.
Well, not entirely. As far as I know, at some point he left the country. But in recent years, the terms of some members of the Constitutional Court have expired, so the court no longer has a quorum to make decisions. That’s a dead end.

So, if it’s simply a matter of carefully holding meetings with the current head of the administration, I have never refused. If such a meeting is well-prepared and can lead to some potentially positive results, then yes. By the way, Donald asked me, if possible, to hold such a meeting. I said, yes, that is possible. In the end, if Zelensky is ready, let him come to Moscow—such a meeting is possible." BEIJING, CHINA — SEPT. 3, 2025 — RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "KREMLIN PRESS OFFICE" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO — EDITORIAL USE ONLY — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he would be willing to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky should he visit Moscow.

Speaking at a news conference in Beijing, Putin said US President Donald Trump asked him to meet with Zelenskyy during their meeting last month in Alaska and that he conveyed to the American leader his readiness to do so.

"I have never refused this, provided the meeting is well-prepared and can lead to some positive potential outcomes," he said. "Donald asked me if I could possibly arrange such a meeting. I replied that yes, it's possible. Ultimately, if Zelensky is ready, let him come to Moscow – then the meeting will take place."

The US-Russian presidential meeting in Alaska in August marked the first in more than four years. It lasted about three hours, after which both leaders issued statements to the press, expressing "good results" and emphasizing the need to continue efforts.