Putin Calls Kyiv’s Response to Being Omitted in US-Russia Talks ‘Inappropriate’

Russian leader Vladimir Putin described Kyiv’s response to being omitted in the Saudi peace talks on Ukraine between the US and Russia as “hysteria” in a comment on Wednesday.

The Saudi talks on Tuesday on ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, undertaken by top diplomats from the US and Russia, resulted in the US and Russia agreeing to restore diplomatic staffing and further discussion and cooperation on mutual economic interests.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed not to recognize the results due to a lack of participation by Kyiv, even though Ukraine is under Russian invasion and the war is being fought on Ukrainian soil.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to a drone manufacturing plant in St. Petersburg, Putin described Zelensky’s response as “hysteria,” adding that it was “inappropriate” for Kyiv to demand a place at the talks, since they addressed bilateral issues between Washington and the Kremlin.

“Do they want to sit here at the negotiating table and be mediators between Russia and the United States? Probably not. Why the hysteria? Hysteria is inappropriate,” Putin said, as reported by Russian state media TASS.

During the same event on Wednesday, Putin also said US President Donald Trump intends to bring Kyiv to the negotiations eventually. US officials previously said that Kyiv and Europe would be only involved at a later stage.

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“As for the negotiation process, Trump told me in a telephone conversation, and I can confirm this, that, of course, the United States assumes that the negotiation process will take place with the participation of both Russia and Ukraine,” Putin said.

Putin also claimed to have “never refused” peace talks, but the conditions he outlined – such as the “demilitarization” of Ukraine – which many have equated to full capitulation – is a non-starter for Kyiv.

In December 2023, Putin said peace with Ukraine would only take place when Russia “[achieves its] objective,” which included the “denazification, demilitarisation and [Ukraine’s] neutral status,” according to a BBC report at the time.