Zelensky talks about the possible countries for the meeting with Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a possible meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could take place in Türkiye, Switzerland, or Austria.
Zelensky said in press statements on Thursday that Kyiv will hold intensive meetings to understand the type of security guarantees Ukraine’s allies are willing to provide as part of a potential peace process with Russia.
He indicated that the talks could take place in a tripartite format, bringing him together with Putin and US President Donald Trump.
He said: “We want to have an understanding of the security guarantees structure within 7 to 10 days, and we aim to hold a tripartite meeting based on this understanding”.
He noted that Türkiye expressed its willingness to provide security along the Black Sea after US President Donald Trump appeared open to the possibility of supporting security guarantees for Ukraine.
He reiterated that Ukraine is ready for direct talks with Putin, adding, “What if the Russians aren’t ready? The Europeans raised this issue, and if the Russians aren’t ready, then we want a strong response from the United States”.
On Monday, the White House hosted talks between Trump, his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The meeting also included French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The White House meeting followed a previous summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska, where the two leaders discussed ways to achieve a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and bilateral relations.
Following his meeting with European leaders, Trump said his meeting with them went “very well” and that he had begun preparations for a trilateral summit in which he would participate alongside his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts.
