Zelenskyy urges Putin to move from talking to meeting in person

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Moscow to move beyond exchanging statements and holding technical-level meetings and engage in leader-level dialogue.

Source: Zelenskyy on social media

Quote: "We have heard the statements coming out of Russia. If these are signals of a genuine willingness to end the war with dignity and establish a truly lasting peace – and not merely an attempt to buy more time for war or delay sanctions – then Ukraine once again reaffirms its readiness to meet at the level of leaders at any time.

We understand who makes the decisions in Russia and who must end this war. The whole world understands this, too. Ukraine calls for moving beyond the exchange of statements and technical-level meetings to talks between leaders. The United States has proposed this. Ukraine has supported it. What is needed is Russia’s readiness."

Details: Zelenskyy also noted that the Ukrainian authorities acknowledge and support US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s war, stop the killings, and achieve a dignified and lasting peace.

"We are grateful to everyone around the world who supports peace efforts and helps us protect lives," the Ukrainian president said.

Background: 

• Russian leader Vladimir Putin has said that his demands to Ukraine, which he laid out in the summer of 2024, remain unchanged.
• That was when Putin issued an ultimatum stating that Ukrainian forces "must be fully withdrawn from the territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts within their administrative borders".
• Meanwhile, Putin has said he "welcomes" the negotiation process in Istanbul and believes that steps should be discussed to establish a "long-term peace in Ukraine without any time limits".

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