Russian President Vladimir Putin has renewed his offer to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for direct negotiations, insisting that any face-to-face meeting must take place in Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated the position Friday, October 30, during a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta. Lavrov said Putin was prepared to guarantee Zelenskyy’s safety and security if he traveled to Russia.

The offer follows a phone conversation earlier in the week involving Putin, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. According to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, the European leaders told Putin that Zelenskyy was interested in holding direct talks with the Russian president.

Ushakov said Putin responded by repeating his invitation, adding that Moscow would provide the necessary conditions for the meeting, including security arrangements.

The Kremlin has also argued that a meeting between the two leaders should be carefully prepared and produce meaningful results. Moscow has indicated that direct negotiations at the presidential level would be most productive after negotiators make progress toward a broader settlement.

Kyiv has previously rejected the idea of Zelenskyy traveling to Moscow, favoring a neutral location for any summit. The two presidents have not met face-to-face since December 2019, before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The renewed invitation comes as the United States continues efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine back to the negotiating table. Discussions have included a proposed round of trilateral talks involving American, Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Abu Dhabi, although major disagreements over the terms of a settlement remain unresolved.