Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed readiness to hold a direct bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to end the war that has dragged on for over three years.
Speaking to journalists on Monday after high-level meetings at the White House with U.S President Donald Trump and several European leaders, Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine is open to dialogue.
“I confirmed and all European leaders supported me that we are ready for a bilateral meeting with Putin,” Zelensky said following the summit.
This would mark Zelensky’s first face-to-face meeting with the Russian leader since the full-scale invasion by Moscow began in early 2022.
Zelensky’s comments come amid rising pressure on Ukraine to consider territorial compromises as Russian forces continue to make gains on the battlefield.
Prior to their meeting, Trump had urged Ukraine to consider relinquishing Crimea and dropping its bid to join NATO, two of the Kremlin’s long-standing demands.
However, Zelensky emphasized that his discussions with Trump were productive, providing an opportunity to give the former U.S. president a clearer understanding of the situation.
“This was the best of our meetings,” Zelensky said.
“I was able to show many things, even on the map, to all American colleagues regarding the situation on the battlefield.”
Rather than focusing on concessions from Ukraine, the summit discussions centred around the development of security guarantees for Ukraine, in case a peace agreement is reached.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the goal is to establish a framework for long-term support.
Trump added that any future security guarantees would be coordinated among European countries and the United States.
Zelensky further confirmed that planning for these security arrangements is already underway.
“It is important that the United States gives a clear signal that it will be among the countries that will assist, coordinate, and participate in these guarantees,” he said, noting that the framework could be finalized within a week to ten days.
