Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he is ready to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow, Reuters reported.

The remarks came after Putin held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Asked whether he was open to direct contact with Zelenskyy, Putin said he did not rule it out but stressed that any meeting would need to have “meaning” and substantive content. “I have never refused to do it, if it leads to positive results,” he said.

On the war in Ukraine, Putin said there was “light at the end of the tunnel,” suggesting that if reason prevails, an acceptable path to ending the conflict could be found. He added that the U.S. administration also appeared willing to pursue a solution. However, he warned that if no agreement is reached, Russia would be forced to achieve its objectives through military means.

Vladimir Putin said Russian forces were advancing “on all fronts” in Ukraine while claiming Kyiv lacked the capability to mount large-scale offensives. Instead, he said, Ukraine was trying to compensate by reorganizing its forces.

“We should not relax now; they may be preparing reserves or major attacks,” Putin said. “But the preliminary analysis of our military experts suggests the Ukrainian army does not have that capability.”