Russians expressed mixed feelings on Tuesday about the prospect of a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, though many remained doubtful it would put an end to the war that has stretched on for nearly three and a half years.
The possibility of direct talks emerged after US President Donald Trump met Putin in Alaska on Friday and Zelensky in Washington on Monday. Trump announced plans to facilitate face-to-face negotiations between the two leaders, which would mark their first direct encounter in nearly six years.
Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia in February 2022 after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion, and since then, there has been no direct communication between the presidents.
“It would be good if such an event took place. I am sure that the conflict would end and everything would be fine,” Roman, a 39-year-old musician in Moscow, told AFP. He lamented the immense human toll of the conflict, adding, “Many young people have died. It would be good if such a meeting had taken place earlier.”
Vyacheslav, a 23-year-old civil servant, echoed this sentiment, saying that the leaders should have met long before now. “It would have been better if the meeting had taken place earlier. But then there were a lot of interested parties and it turned out the way it did,” he said.
When the war began in 2022, Russia expected to seize Kyiv within days, but Ukrainian resistance forced its retreat from the capital. Since then, Moscow’s forces have shifted their focus, capturing significant portions of the east and south, while the fighting has left tens of thousands of soldiers dead on both sides.
“I want everything to end peacefully,” Roman added. “We are one people, we are Slavs, and we must love and respect each other.”
Not all Russians shared this optimism. Some expressed scepticism that any talks could bring about real change. Ilya Denisov, a 19-year-old student from Saint Petersburg, voiced doubt over the success of such a summit. “Nothing will change,” he said. “Ukraine should be divided. Leave Russia what it controls and go their separate ways.”
Currently, Russia occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory. In 2014, it annexed Crimea after a referendum denounced internationally as illegitimate. Eight years later, in 2022, Moscow announced the annexation of four more Ukrainian regions, Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, and Zaporizhzhia, even though its military does not fully control them.
Recent signals from Moscow suggested it could agree to freeze the front line in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, in exchange for Kyiv relinquishing control over parts of Donetsk and Lugansk. However, Ukraine has firmly rejected such proposals.
Vyacheslav expressed hope that compromise was still possible. “I hope we can agree on mutually beneficial terms,” he said.
Others in Russia also voiced cautious support for talks. Tatiana, a 29-year-old resident of Moscow, said she backed the idea of negotiations between Zelensky and Putin. “If, of course, they come to a good result,” she remarked.
But some were firmly against the notion of talks altogether. Ksenia, a sales manager, argued that any territory Russia controls should remain permanently under its authority. “I am against the meeting,” she said. “What is ours now must remain ours. People shed blood for this land, so it is ours.”
What you should know
The prospect of a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, brokered by US President Trump, has drawn mixed reactions in Russia.
While some hope it could lead to peace, others remain sceptical or outright opposed, reflecting deep divisions as the war, now in its fourth year, continues with devastating consequences for both countries.
