Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit in France or in the United States to discuss ending the war.
On June 15, local time, Zelensky spoke to reporters at a monastery in Kyiv that had been damaged by a recent Russian nighttime attack. He stated that the United States has agreed to invite President Putin to the G7 summit.
"With President Trump and President Macron present, I conveyed the message that we are ready to meet with President Putin during the G7," he said. "Since it is a gathering of Europe and the United States, I believe it is a very good opportunity for everyone to meet." He added, "While Europe and the U.S. are in agreement, Russia has once again shown it is not ready for dialogue."
Zelensky later revealed via social media platform Telegram that he suggested a meeting with Putin during a phone call with President Trump the previous day. He noted, "This format could be much harder for President Putin to refuse. It would be difficult for him to reject President Trump’s proposal at the very least." He emphasized, "We will see what happens. If Russia rejects this opportunity, stronger pressure will be necessary."
This proposal comes as President Trump highlighted the achievement of a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran during the G7 summit in France, stating that he would push for an end to the war in Ukraine as the next priority.
President Trump mentioned that he had spoken with both Zelensky and Putin, saying, "I think we can achieve something on that issue. Both seem open-minded about it."
A Ukrainian official confirmed that Zelensky conveyed the proposal for a meeting during the G7 to both the U.S. side and French President Emmanuel Macron, and that he directly expressed the invitation to Russia. However, the official noted that they had not received a clear response from the Russian side.
Zelensky stated that securing additional air defense systems to defend against Russian attacks will be his top priority at the G7 meeting. He added, "I will meet with European leaders and also with President Trump to discuss how to pressure President Putin to stop this war."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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