Zelensky invites Putin to talks in Kyiv, rejects Moscow meeting

Zelensky invites Putin to talks in Kyiv, rejects Moscow meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to Kyiv for talks to end the ongoing conflict, rejecting an offer from Putin to meet in Moscow. Zelensky made this statement in an interview with ABC News, where he emphasized that he could not travel to Moscow while Ukraine is under constant missile bombardments [1].

Putin, on the other hand, has expressed his willingness to meet with Zelensky in Moscow, stating that he would provide the necessary security conditions for such a meeting. However, Zelensky dismissed this possibility, saying that he could not visit Moscow under the current circumstances [2].

The Ukrainian president's stance has been supported by Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, who believes that Putin's invitation was a strategic move to manipulate the U.S. administration and shift blame away from Russia. Boyechko also noted that Putin's insistence on a meeting in Moscow was a way to exploit the U.S. administration's desperation to show progress in the peace process [1].

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to broker a peace deal, the prospects of a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky remain distant. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that a bilateral meeting is unlikely, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has suggested that seven countries are ready to host peace talks that Zelensky would attend [1].

References:
[1] https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-zelensky-putin-2125604
[2] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/zelenskyy-rejects-putin-invitation-kyiv/story?id=125299086