Zelenskyy says he's open to meeting Putin even without a ceasefire
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (president.gov.ua)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin without a ceasefire. However, it would be better if a ceasefire preceded any high-level talks, Zelenskyy said during a briefing.
Answering a question about whether a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia could take place without a ceasefire, Zelenskyy said, "It could, yes."
He added that it is no secret to US President Donald Trump that a ceasefire would mean the end of the war — but it would be a significant step toward ending the war with Russia.
"But even if there is no ceasefire, when it comes to whether we are ready for a heads-of-state meeting without a ceasefire… that is, before a ceasefire… if I say 'no,' the Russians will immediately claim I don't want to play their games. We're saying that we are ready at the heads-of-state level. But my personal view is that it would be better if a ceasefire preceded this. It is a clear move toward peace and a basis for the meeting," the President noted.
Zelensky-Putin meeting
In May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed holding a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul, but Putin ignored the offer. Instead, he sent a delegation to Istanbul led by his aide, Vladimir Medinsky.
On June 2, the second round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul. According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, the two sides discussed, among other things, the possibility of a meeting at the level of heads of state. Ukraine proposed to the Russian side that a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin take place before the end of this month — between June 20 and June 30.
Following the talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that he wants to organize a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.
Earlier, Zelenskyy had already discussed with Erdoğan the possibility of a four-party meeting focused on a peace agreement, involving the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and the United States.
Today, Zelenskyy stated once again that he is ready for negotiations with Putin in the coming days. However, for such a meeting to happen, a ceasefire is necessary.
