Zelensky proposes meeting Putin in US after Russian leader ‘ignores’ G7 invitation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday he was willing to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the United States, suggesting Putin would find such an offer “harder to refuse”.

The Ukrainian leader said he made the proposal in a call with US President Donald Trump, and was waiting to see what came of it.

Putin has repeatedly rejected offers for a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky to try to broker an end to more than four years of war.

The Ukrainian leader said earlier that Putin ignored an invitation to meet him at the G7 summit in France, which began earlier on Monday.

“Yesterday (Sunday), we discussed with President Trump that such a meeting could be organised in the US, in a format where Putin would find it much harder to refuse,” Zelensky said in a video address posted on social media.

“We will see what comes of it. If Russia refuses this chance as well, additional pressure will be needed,” he added.

Of the G7 invitation, Zelensky said Moscow had “once again demonstrated that it is not ready to speak about this”.