Zelenskyy rejects Moscow meeting with Putin and proposes neutral venue
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a Kremlin proposal to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow. He also named the countries where potential negotiations could take place, Zelenskyy said during his speech at a summit in London.
The president rejected Russia's proposals to meet in Moscow, saying that Ukraine does "not play such games." At the same time, he said that the meeting could take place in a neutral country.
According to Zelenskyy, it could be Switzerland, Türkiye, or a country in the Middle East, although he added that Putin "did not support the idea"
Organizing a meeting with Putin
When asked about a possible date for the resumption of US-mediated negotiations with Russia, Zelenskyy stressed that organizing such discussions is very difficult. He noted that he wanted to use the opportunity of the G7 summit to meet with the leader, but Russia does not share this view.
"I am not sure they (the US - ed.) got a positive signal," the Ukrainian president said.
Zelenskyy described how he had proposed to French President Emmanuel Macron that they try to organize a meeting with the Russians in Switzerland. At the same time, he noted that the Russians did not respond to such a proposal.
"Putin did not use this opportunity to meet during the G7. We spoke about it with President Trump. I know, Putin made a lot of propositions through different leaders to come to Moscow," the head of state said.
Zelenskyy and Trump discussed the possibility of holding a meeting with Putin in the United States. The idea is a format that would make it more difficult for the Russian leader to avoid the negotiation process.
Kyiv had in advance conveyed to Russia through intermediaries, diplomatic contacts, and intelligence channels a proposal for a meeting of the leaders during the G7 summit with the participation of the US president.
