Russia's presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Saturday, 4 July said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is welcome to travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin — but only once he is prepared to make what the Kremlin characterised as 'important and responsible decisions,' according to local media reports.

Peskov's Response to Zelensky's Proposal

Speaking to Radio KP, Peskov addressed Zelensky's proposal for a face-to-face meeting in the Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka. He underscored that Moscow, not Kostiantynivka, is the capital of Russia, and that Putin had already expressed willingness to host the Ukrainian leader there. The remarks amounted to a pointed rebuff of Zelensky's choice of venue while leaving the door nominally open to talks.

Zelensky's Accusation and Counter-Invitation

Earlier the same day, Zelensky publicly challenged Putin's claim that Russian forces had captured Kostiantynivka in the Donbas, calling it a fabrication timed to coincide with America's Independence Day. In a post on X, Zelensky wrote: 'On the eve of America's Independence Day, Putin has chosen to lie to the world and to the President of the United States about the situation on the front. He claims that Russian forces have supposedly captured Kostiantynivka in the Donbas. Of course, that is not true. It is just another Russian lie, an attempt to generate some kind of a news story.'

Zelensky pressed the point further, arguing: 'If Kostiantynivka were under Russian control, then perhaps Putin would have no problem meeting me there to find a diplomatic way to finally end this war. But the fact is, he won't cross the front line — reality is very different from Putin's words.'

Putin's Earlier Stance on Talks

The exchange follows a pattern of escalating rhetorical sparring over whether and where talks could occur. Last month, Putin said he 'still sees no reason' to meet Zelensky, stating: 'I don't see the point of a meeting. It would only be of interest to the Ukrainian side to stop the advance of our armed forces.' He added that it was necessary to 'let specialists work, develop solutions, and then we can meet,' describing any meeting before a peace agreement as 'useless.'

Zelensky's Open Letter and Proposed Venues

The Kremlin's latest remarks came in direct response to an open letter in which Zelensky formally invited Putin to direct negotiations. 'Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting,' Zelensky wrote. He suggested Switzerland, Turkey, and countries of the Arab world as potential neutral hosts for the talks, warning that it 'would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the centre of its attention.'

What This Means for the Peace Process

The duelling statements illustrate how far apart both sides remain on the basic preconditions for dialogue — let alone a ceasefire. With Moscow insisting on its own capital as the venue and Kyiv proposing neutral third-party hosts, the gap is as much symbolic as logistical. Analysts note that neither side has moved substantively toward a negotiating table, and the war in eastern Ukraine continues with no immediate end in sight.