The talks come as Russia’s ongoing invasion, now in its fourth year, continues to devastate the country.
The meeting, which lasted over four and a half hours, took place at the Presidential Library in St Petersburg and was conducted entirely behind closed doors.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the discussions as part of Moscow’s "ongoing, painstaking work" to regulate the conflict, a reference to the war Russia launched against Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin was joined by his foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special representative on Ukrainian affairs.
State media highlighted a brief exchange in English and a handshake between the delegations before the formal talks began.
Though the Kremlin did not disclose specific details, it confirmed the discussions focused on possible conditions for a truce in the war, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since Russian forces attacked.
(ał)
Source: IAR, PAP