Putin Has Never Refused Talks With Zelensky, Kremlin Aide Says

The significance here lies less in any new diplomatic opening than in the messenger and the venue: a senior Kremlin aide using a domestic TV interview to restate a talking-point position rather than announce a shift. The framing places the burden of refusal on Kyiv without committing Moscow to anything concrete, which keeps the door rhetorically open while changing nothing on the ground. For markets watching any war-risk premium, the open question is whether this language is followed by any verifiable channel of contact, or remains a purely public posture aimed at domestic and foreign audiences.