Zelenskyy wants strong US reaction if Putin refuses bilateral meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wants a “strong reaction” from the U.S. government if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not sit down with him for a bilateral meeting.

This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to broker a peace agreement between the two countries, which have been at war since Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, although Trump has conceded that Putin may not be prepared to make a deal.

Zelenskyy has said he has already agreed to a proposed meeting with Putin.

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“I responded immediately to the proposal for a bilateral meeting: We are ready. But what if the Russians are not ready?” Zelenskiy said at a news briefing in Kyiv Wednesday.

“If the Russians are not ready, we would like to see a strong reaction from the United States.”

Trump separately met with both leaders in the past week, with Zelenskyy visiting the White House along with other European leaders earlier this week and the U.S. president meeting Putin in Alaska last week.

The White House has said Putin was willing to meet with his Ukrainian foe after a phone call this week with Trump.

“President Trump spoke with President Putin by phone, and he agreed to begin the next phase of the peace process, a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, which would be followed, if necessary, by a trilateral meeting between President Putin, President Zelensky and President Trump,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.

The path toward peace between the two sides remains uncertain despite U.S. efforts for diplomacy as the U.S. government and its allies attempt to work out potential security guarantees for Ukraine.

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Zelenskyy said it was unclear what concessions about territory Russia was willing to make to end the conflict. Trump has previously said Kyiv and Moscow would both need to cede territory.

“To discuss what Ukraine is willing to do, let’s first hear what Russia is willing to do,” Zelenskyy said. “We do not know that.”

Reuters contributed to this report.