Putin doesn't rule out possible meeting with Zelensky but it needs to be well prepared - Peskov

MOSCOW. Aug 29 (Interfax) - The work of experts on preparing a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is not "booming" just yet, but Russia remains interested and ready for such talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Putin does not rule out a possibility of such a meeting but believes that any summit-level meting needs to be well prepared in order to finalize the preparations made on the expert level in advance," Peskov said at a press briefing on Friday.

"We cannot say for now that the work of experts is booming, so to say, regretfully, it is not. We remain interested and ready for such negotiations," he said.

Peskov thus commented on a statement by German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz who said he doubted that a Putin-Zelensky meeting could happen.

"All our positions have been conveyed, main [settlement] provisions have been handed over to the Ukrainian side in writing. True, these are initial positions, and further discussion is necessary," Peskov said.