The Kremlin says a meeting between Putin and Zelensky would only take place after a peace deal, and the chances of such a meeting in August are slim.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a summit between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine could be held only as a last step to finalize a peace agreement. He stressed that the meeting was unlikely to be held by the end of August, as Ukraine had proposed, given the complexity of the negotiations. Peskov noted that the positions of the two countries are "diametrically opposed" and that extensive diplomatic work is needed to reach a consensus.