Putin's stance on meeting Zelenskyy unchanged: Putin's aide Yury Ushakov

Moscow [Russia], May 9 : Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide Yury Ushakov told reporters on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's position regarding his readiness to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks remains unchanged, as per Tass.

Ushakov told Tass that the messages conveyed from Kyiv by Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico as outdated and already heard before, saying they "were relayed through many intermediaries, including Trump."

"Our president has responded many times that if he (Zelenskyy) wants to meet, he should call Moscow; we are ready to receive him and hold talks," Ushakov told Tass.

"What is he saying? It all ends up hanging in the air," Ushakov said, accusing Ukraine of inconsistency.

Ushakov told reporters on Saturday that US President Donald Trump's hopes that the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine would be prolonged are unfounded, as per Tass.

"Yes, [Trump's hope for an extension of the ceasefire] is unfounded," the diplomat said. "But he hopes for it, why not? And he is working toward it," Tass reported, quoting Ushakov.

"But this (a prolonged ceasefire) depends not only on him, but also on the other two parties," Ushakov concluded.

Tass further reported that concerned agencies in Russia and Ukraine are working on lists of prisoners of war, and a prisoner exchange could begin once the sides reach an agreement, Ushakov told reporters.

"As far as I know, the relevant agencies are supposed to be actively working on the lists today, and if they reach an agreement through their channels, the exchange will begin," Tass quoted Ushakov as saying.

Ushakov added that the process could move fairly quickly.

"On our part, the preliminary work [on the prisoner exchange] was underway even before the announcement of this ceasefire. And we had already provided lists to the Ukrainian side. We received no response from them. But now, perhaps due to the pressure from [US President Donald Trump], as I mentioned earlier, they will hurry up with preparing the list," Ushakov said.

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