Putin says, for first time, he is open to meeting Zelensky outside Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Moscow that he would, for the first time, be open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on territory outside Russia. The remark came as discussions intensified about extending the three-day ceasefire brokered by the Trump administration last week.

A Kremlin spokesman attached a condition: Kyiv would need to take a 'constructive position' for any meeting to happen. Ukraine has not formally responded, but European diplomats describe the statement as the most significant softening from a side that has refused direct summit diplomacy for more than two years of full-scale war.

The development is being watched closely by investors tracking energy markets and the military trajectory. Brent crude is under short-term pressure on the prospect of an extended truce. Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are being floated as possible venues; Ankara previously hosted earlier rounds of negotiations between the two warring sides.