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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had proposed meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G7 Summit in France this week to discuss ending the war, but that Russia “was not ready to talk.”
Speaking to journalists at the damaged Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Zelenskyy said that the United States had agreed to invite Putin to the G7 Summit, which begins on Monday in Évian-les-Bains, France, Reuters reports, UATV English informs.
“We sent a message expressing our readiness to meet with Putin during the G7 Summit because Trump and Macron will be there, meaning the Europeans plus America. I think it is a good, very good opportunity to meet all together,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the Ukrainian President, Moscow did not respond to the proposal.
“Europe and the United States reached an understanding, while Russia once again demonstrated that they are not ready to talk,” he said.
A Ukrainian official told Reuters that Zelenskyy had informed both the Americans and French President Emmanuel Macron about the proposal for talks during the summit.
Ukraine also passed the invitation directly to Russian counterparts but received no clear response, the official added.
The Élysée Palace did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
On June 4, Zelenskyy sent a letter to Putin proposing a personal bilateral meeting aimed at ending the war. He also stated that both Europe and the United States should be involved in the negotiation process.
U.S. President Donald Trump supported the possibility of a direct meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders.
Meanwhile, Putin said he had reviewed Zelenskyy’s open letter and “did not see the point” in holding such a meeting.
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