Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, provided that all matters related to resolving the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv are comprehensively prepared in advance, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.

Speaking to RT, Lavrov stated, “The Russian president repeatedly said that he is ready to meet, including with Zelensky, if there is an understanding that all issues requiring consideration at the highest level have been thoroughly worked out by experts and ministers.”

His remarks come after former US President Donald Trump, following separate talks with both leaders, suggested that Putin and Zelensky hold a one-on-one meeting before a potential trilateral summit involving him. Zelensky, who recently visited Washington, expressed his willingness to negotiate directly with the Russian leader.

Lavrov, however, claimed Zelensky’s push for a quick summit was aimed at staying in the international spotlight, noting that the Ukrainian leader previously signed a 2022 decree banning direct talks with Moscow—an order still in place.

“Clearly, his activity in relation to staging a summit with the Russian leader also has a goal of displaying his supposedly constructive focus on the settlement process, but in reality, it is simply about replacing serious, hard work on reaching a sustainable resolution with special effects and tricks,” Lavrov remarked, referencing Zelensky’s past career in comedy.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said that during a phone call on Monday, Putin and Trump agreed on the importance of continuing direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations, which resumed in Istanbul in May, and also discussed raising the level of officials involved.