We made a step forward: Zelenskyy reveals how he's preparing to meet Putin
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Kyiv is ready for any configuration of meetings with the Russian side if it helps to end the war, said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting with journalists on August 20.
Answering a question about preparations for negotiations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needed this meeting.
"We need this meeting. If, in order to end the war, a meeting with the Russians is necessary, and then a trilateral meeting, we are ready for any configuration of these meetings. We made a step forward. And they must do something to demonstrate that they really want to end the war, as they have said."
He stressed that it is also important for US President Donald Trump to end this war.
"He needs to come out of this with success. And this success depends on a just ending of this war," the president noted.
Zelenskyy also touched on the issue of sanctions. According to him, secondary sanctions are "a killing force for the Russians."
"We understand that new tariffs, which President Trump may introduce on certain countries that have export-import relations with Russians, will also affect Russia’s economy," Zelenskyy said.
He added that during the negotiations, his message to the American president was clear. "We are ready for the configuration of bilateral and trilateral meetings. And if the Russians are not ready, we ask for tariffs. We ask for additional sanctions and tariff measures from the US, because this will really work."
Zelenskyy-Putin meeting
On August 15, in Alaska, US President Donald Trump met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. And already on August 18, Trump held talks at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders.
After these meetings, the American president called Putin to agree on holding negotiations with Zelenskyy. At present, Russia insists on holding a bilateral meeting first, and then a trilateral one with Trump’s participation.
Switzerland has already declared its readiness to host the summit. Austria has also announced it is ready to host talks between Zelenskyy and Putin.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz doubts that Putin will dare to meet with Zelenskyy.
