Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Monday that he is prepared to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on U.S. soil, arguing that such a proposal would be “harder to refuse” for Putin.
The Ukrainian leader disclosed that he put forward this suggestion during a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump and is now awaiting the outcome.
Putin has consistently turned down offers for a direct meeting with Zelensky aimed at negotiating an end to the conflict, which has now spanned over four years.
Earlier, Zelensky noted that Putin had declined an invitation to meet at the G7 summit in France, which commenced earlier on Monday.
“Yesterday [Sunday], we discussed with President Trump that such a meeting could be organized in the United States, in a format that would make it much more difficult for Putin to decline,” Zelensky said in a video address posted on social media.
“We will see what comes of it. If Russia also rejects this opportunity, further pressure will be necessary,” he added.
Regarding the G7 invitation, Zelensky remarked that Moscow had “once again shown that it is not ready to engage in talks on this matter.”