The Ukrainian President expressed his desire for a “strong reaction” from the U.S. government should Russian President Vladimir Putin decline a bilateral meeting with him.
This situation arises as U.S. President Donald Trump endeavors to mediate a peace accord between the two nations, which have been in conflict since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, even though Trump has admitted that Putin might not be ready for a settlement.
Zelenskyy previously stated his acceptance of a suggested meeting with Putin.
“I promptly replied to the bilateral meeting proposal: we are prepared. But what if the Russians are not?” Zelenskyy remarked at a news briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.
“Should the Russians prove unwilling, we would anticipate a robust response from the United States,” he further stated.
Trump held separate discussions with both leaders over the past week; Zelenskyy visited the White House with other European leaders earlier this week, and the U.S. president was in Alaska last week.
The White House has communicated that Putin was with his Ukrainian adversary following a phone call this week with Trump.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters on Tuesday that “President Trump communicated with President Putin via phone, and Putin consented to initiate the subsequent stage of the peace process—a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy—which would, if required, be succeeded by a trilateral meeting involving President Putin, President Zelensky, and President Trump.”
Despite U.S. diplomatic endeavors, the route to peace between the two parties remains ambiguous, as the U.S. government and its allies strive to establish prospective security guarantees for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy stated that the territorial concessions Russia might be prepared to offer to conclude the conflict were undefined. Trump had earlier indicated that both Kyiv and Moscow would be required to yield territory.
“Before addressing what Ukraine is prepared to do, let us first learn what Russia is willing to do,” Zelenskyy commented. “We lack that knowledge.”
Reuters provided content for this dispatch.