Volodymyr Zelensky gave a blunt response when Russian reporters asked him in New York when he planned to visit Moscow, telling them: “On a rocket, f**k.”
The exchange took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, with video of the encounter subsequently circulating online.
Zelensky has previously rejected Moscow as a venue for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that any meeting should take place somewhere capable of producing meaningful progress towards ending the war.
In January, the Ukrainian president said a meeting with Putin in Moscow was “impossible” and publicly challenged the Russian leader to travel to Kyiv instead.
“I invite him publicly, if he dares, of course,” Zelensky said at the time.
He said Ukraine remained serious about ending the war and was prepared to consider a leaders’ meeting if it could deliver results.
But he rejected both Moscow and Belarus as possible venues, arguing that Russia was waging war against Ukraine while Belarus had supported Moscow’s military campaign.
🤣🤣🤣Russian propagandists asked Zelensky: "When he will come to Moscow?"
Zelensky: "On a rocket, blyat"
Only missiles and drones are effective in negotiating with the Russians. pic.twitter.com/7T76mzQip3
— Cloooud |🇺🇦 (@GloOouD) September 23, 2026
“But if someone doesn’t want to meet but can’t bring themselves to say so directly for some reason, that’s when these invitations to Moscow come up. It’s clear what’s going on,” Zelensky added.
The latest exchange came as the Kremlin continued to discuss the possibility of direct talks between Putin and Zelensky.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that Zelensky had not formally rejected an invitation to visit Moscow.
“Zelensky has not refused to come to Moscow. At least, I haven’t heard that,” Peskov said, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS.
The contrasting statements highlight the gulf between Moscow’s public presentation of the possibility of talks and Kyiv’s stated conditions for any meeting.
Zelensky has repeatedly argued that negotiations must produce a substantive route towards ending Russia’s war rather than simply provide an opportunity for political theatre.
His latest exchange with Russian journalists in New York came as world leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly, placing the confrontation between the two governments in the middle of a week of intense diplomatic activity.
While Peskov has continued to frame Moscow as available for negotiations, Zelensky’s public comments have emphasised that the location and terms of any meeting remain fundamental issues for Kyiv.
For now, the two sides remain publicly divided over where — and under what circumstances — their presidents could meet.
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