Zelenskyy says he proposed meeting with Putin at G7 summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he proposed a meeting with Vladimir Putin at the G7 summit in France this week for talks on ending the war, but Russia was "not ready to speak".
Source: Reuters, citing Zelenskyy speaking to journalists; as reported by European Pravda
Details: Speaking at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which was damaged in Russia's attack on the night of 14-15 June, Zelenskyy said the United States had agreed to invite Putin to the G7 summit, which starts on 15 June in Évian-les-Bains, France.
Quote: "We gave message that we are ready to meet with Putin during (the) G7, because Trump is there and Macron is there, so Europeans plus America. This is a good, I think, very good opportunity to meet all together."
More details: However, Moscow had not responded to the proposal, Zelenskyy said.
Quote: "Europe and the United States were agreed and Russia demonstrated again that...they are not ready to speak."
More details: A Ukrainian official told Reuters that Zelenskyy had informed the Americans and French President Emmanuel Macron of the proposal to hold talks at the G7 summit.
Ukraine also passed the invitation directly to Russian counterparts, but received no clear response, the official added.
Macron's office did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Background:
- On 4 June, Zelenskyy wrote an open letter to the Kremlin leader proposing a personal bilateral meeting to end the war, and also said that Europe and the United States should be involved in the talks.
- Trump supported the idea of a bilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia.
- Putin, however, said he had seen Zelenskyy's open letter and "sees no point in holding a meeting".
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