Is the Russia-Ukraine war finally nearing the end? Putin sees ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ as he agrees to meet Zelenskyy on this condition

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (September 3, 2025) spoke at length about the war with Ukraine and where he sees the conflict heading as he wrapped up his visit to China. Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, the Russian president indicated no willingness to soften his long-standing demands, including that Kyiv abandon any idea of joining NATO and that it end what Moscow says is discrimination against Russian speakers.

Elaborating on his stance against Ukraine joining NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Putin said, “No country can ensure its security at the expense of another country, as quoted by RT News. He also stated that Moscow never had doubts about the possibility of Kyiv joining the European Union (EU). He asserted that his country would carry on fighting in Ukraine if a peace deal could not be reached.

The Kremlin leader said that he thought there was "light at the end of the tunnel," but promised to continue fighting and claimed his troops were "advancing on all fronts." Giving out his reasons behind the conflict with Ukraine, Putin said, “We're not fighting for territories; we're fighting for the rights of people,” according to RT News.

Emphasizing that he “never ruled out” meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin stated that it is complicated due to the Ukrainian Constitution, as Zelenskyy is no longer the president. "Under martial law, elections shall not be held, but it doesn't mean the president's term is prolonged," Putin further explained. He also said that if Zelenskyy is ready to meet him, then he can come to Moscow.

While speaking at the press conference, Putin also stated that Moscow was prepared to send a higher-level delegation to the peace talks with Ukraine. Progress towards settling the three-and-a-half-year war appears to have stalled despite a flurry of diplomatic efforts from US President Donald Trump, who met both his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts last month.

Putin said he had invited Zelensky to come to Moscow if he wanted a meeting. "Donald (Trump) asked me for such a meeting, and I said, 'Yes, it's possible; let Zelensky come to Moscow,'" he said. A source told AFP in August that Zelensky had rejected an initiative to hold talks in Moscow.

The said Russia was ready to send a higher-level delegation to peace talks with Ukraine, though he declined to say who that would be. "If it will be necessary to raise the level of delegations, we are ready for it," the Russian leader said. Moscow launched more than 500 drones on Ukraine early on Wednesday, and nine civilians were killed later in a shelling on a frontline town in eastern Ukraine.