Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin should take place before the beginning of winter, warning that continued fighting would make the coming season difficult for both sides.
Speaking at a Reuters online conference, Zelensky stressed the urgency of diplomatic efforts to end the war.
“I believe it is very important to try to organize a meeting before winter comes. For us, it was a terrible winter. But you must understand that we do not want to go through the same winter again. Of course, Russia should also know that we had a terrible winter, and that theirs will not be easy either. So my proposal is dialogue,” he said.
Zelensky added that Putin has repeatedly suggested Moscow as a venue for talks, but Ukraine “does not play such games.” Instead, he insisted that negotiations must take place in a neutral country.
He mentioned Switzerland, Turkey, or countries in the Middle East as possible locations, and also suggested that the United States could play a role in organizing the meeting.
The Ukrainian president noted that previous high-level meetings have already taken place in the U.S., including in Alaska, and said Washington could help facilitate a future dialogue.
Zelensky had previously proposed a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France this week, but said Russia once again showed it is “not ready to talk.”
