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Zelensky expresses readiness to meet Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Monday evening in remarks to journalists in Washington that he is prepared to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin without any preconditions. This came after his meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders, where he indicated that Moscow's previous demands for a ceasefire had only led to new conditions.
Zelensky affirmed, "We are ready for any possible format," expressing his belief that such dialogue should occur at the leadership level, and that a direct meeting with Putin is essential to begin building on the basis of ending the conflict. He emphasized that Kyiv's conditions for negotiations would be met with responses from Russia that could reach "a hundred demands."
In a separate note, he mentioned that his discussions with Trump focused on highly sensitive issues, and he confirmed that Ukraine's security heavily depends on support from the United States and Europe. He also pointed out the importance of humanitarian matters, such as prisoner exchanges and the return of children abducted by Russia.
Zelensky indicated that steps are underway to establish security guarantees for Kyiv, with details expected to emerge within the next ten days. He explained that international partners may officially announce these guarantees within a week to ten days and that regional issues related to a peace agreement with Russia will be addressed later between the two countries.
Finally, Zelensky expressed his readiness to meet with Putin to end the war and mentioned Ukraine’s offer to purchase U.S. weapons worth nearly $90 billion, along with an agreement to buy drones from the United States.
