Zelenskyy still ready to meet Putin but sets two conditions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is still willing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin but rules out Russia and Belarus as venues for negotiations, Axios reports.
In an interview with Axios, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said that US President Donald Trump invited Zelenskyy to the White House following two phone conversations they held a week ago.
"Both calls were very good. The presidents understand each other. They immediately started to talk very concretely. The fact that they agreed so fast to meet demonstrates that we are friends and partners," Yermak said.
Yermak added that although both calls took place over a secure communication channel, the two leaders wanted to discuss issues so delicate that they could only be resolved in person.
"There are a lot of questions that are impossible to discuss by phone. It's like the situation on the front line. Like about our (military - ed.) plans and about how we and the American side see the next steps for the peace process," Yermak said.
He added that Zelenskyy confirmed to Trump that he remains ready to meet with Putin in any format and anywhere in the world, except in Russia or Belarus. Putin has repeatedly rejected such a meeting.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that he is ready for a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. However, he emphasized that he would not agree to the Kremlin's conditions.
At the beginning of September, Putin confirmed his readiness for negotiations but insisted that Zelenskyy must come to Moscow and be "ready" for discussion.
