Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry reacts to Putin’s proposal for meeting with Zelenskyy in Moscow
Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to hold a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Moscow. This proposal is unserious, stated Heorhii Tykhyi, the spokesperson of the Ukrainian MFA.
According to Tykhyi, the very invitation indicates Russia’s unwillingness to meet.
"We are conveying this to our partners, including the American side. At least seven countries are currently ready to host the leaders’ meeting," the MFA spokesperson added.
Zelenskyy–Putin meeting
On September 3, Russian leader Vladimir Putin stated that he did not rule out a meeting with the Ukrainian President, but for this, Zelenskyy had to come to Moscow and be ready for negotiations.
President Zelenskyy reacted skeptically to such conditions.
"Our American partners informed us that Putin invited me to Moscow. I believe that if you want a meeting not to happen, you should invite me to Moscow," he said, while also noting that the very fact of discussions about a meeting is already a positive signal.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, called Putin’s proposal unacceptable.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin reacted cynically in its traditional manner: Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said that Putin invited Zelenskyy "to talk, not to capitulate."
On August 18, US President Donald Trump stated that after speaking with Putin, he began preparations for a possible meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia.
The Ukrainian side is demonstrating openness and readiness for negotiations, while Moscow is looking for reasons to prevent the meeting from taking place.
