Slug: Ukraine’s president urged direct negotiations at the G7 summit, but said Russia refused engagement.
Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that he had proposed a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G7 summit in France this week in an effort to advance peace talks, but claimed Moscow was unwilling to engage in direct discussions.
Speaking to reporters at Kyiv’s historic Pechersk Lavra monastery, which was recently damaged during a large-scale overnight attack, Zelenskiy said Ukraine had conveyed its readiness for negotiations at the gathering in Evian-les-Bains. He noted that the summit would bring together major Western leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
According to Zelenskiy, the presence of European leaders alongside the United States would have provided a valuable opportunity for comprehensive discussions aimed at ending the conflict that has entered its fourth year. He said Ukraine had informed both American officials and Macron about the proposal and had also delivered the invitation directly to Russian representatives.
We are ready to meet with Putin during the G7, Zelenskiy said, adding that the combination of European and American participation created what he described as a strong platform for dialogue. However, he stated that Russia had failed to provide a clear response and had once again demonstrated a lack of willingness to enter meaningful talks.
A Ukrainian official confirmed that Kyiv had pursued multiple diplomatic channels to communicate the invitation. While Western partners reportedly supported the initiative, Moscow did not formally commit to the proposed meeting.
The proposal follows an open letter sent by Zelenskiy to Putin earlier this month in which the Ukrainian leader called for direct negotiations and argued that the prolonged conflict was placing increasing pressure on Russia’s economy. Putin publicly dismissed the suggestion, saying he saw no reason for a personal meeting and asserting that Ukrainian long-range drone attacks posed no significant economic threat.
The diplomatic tensions unfolded against the backdrop of a major Russian assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities reported that at least 10 people were killed in overnight attacks on Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Zelenskiy accused Putin of acting cynically by launching the strikes only hours after holding a telephone conversation with Trump.
