DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow rules out any meeting in Miami and puts its capital as the only possible location for a Putin-Zelensky summit, denouncing in the process the inconsistency of the Ukrainian leader on the Donbass.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Dmitri Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, told AFP on Saturday, September 12, 2026, that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky at the G20 in Miami was "impossible", such a meeting only being able to take place in Moscow.
- 02
Yuri Ushakov, diplomatic advisor to Vladimir Putin, stated that the Russian president's participation in the G20 in Miami (December 14-15) "has not even been discussed" in Moscow.
- 03
Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, said that a visit by Zelensky to Moscow would be "an enormous gesture of goodwill", the Ukrainian leader having not repealed his decree banning any contact with Putin.
ANALYSIS
Moscow, September 14, 2026. The Kremlin outright dismisses the idea of a summit in Miami. Asked on Saturday, September 12, 2026, by AFP about a possible meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G20 in December, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied: "It's impossible." He recalled Moscow's consistent position: if the Ukrainian leader wants to meet his Russian counterpart, the meeting can only take place in Moscow.
Vladimir Putin's participation in the summit itself remains uncertain. "We don't know yet if we'll go to Miami," Dmitry Peskov specified, as quoted by Interfax. His colleague, Yuri Ushakov, diplomatic advisor to the Russian president, went further, stating that the question of Vladimir Putin's presence in Miami "has not even been discussed" in Moscow, despite a previous gesture of openness in April, when the Kremlin mentioned a possible trip after a suggestion from Donald Trump.
On the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov took a tougher tone against the Ukrainian head of state, reproaching him for "not being present in his own country," while "the Russian leadership has enough to do at home." According to him, a visit by Volodymyr Zelensky to Moscow would already be "an enormous gesture of goodwill," since the Ukrainian leader has still not abolished his decree prohibiting direct contact with Vladimir Putin.
On the Ukrainian side, Volodymyr Zelensky's statement has sparked skepticism. Historian Marta Havryshko, interviewed by RIA Novosti, judged Kiev's position "absurd," pointing out the inconsistency of a leader who refuses any concessions on the Donbass while demanding a tête-à-tête with Vladimir Putin: "He thinks Ukraine is in a favorable position. What is he going to accept there?"
This diplomatic standoff is part of a broader context: a phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump took place on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, while American envoy Steve Witkoff and businessman Jared Kushner shuttled between Moscow and Kiev in early September. The G20 summit will be held on December 14 and 15 in Miami.
SOURCES (4)
- Moscow TimesMEDIUM
- VedomostiMEDIUM
- RIA NovostiMEDIUM
