Amid skepticism over whether Vladimir Putin has agreed to halt attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for a week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to reports that he was invited to Moscow by the Russian leader.
Zelensky said he is open to “any format” of a leaders’ summit, but refuses to meet in Moscow, calling such a meeting “impossible.” He also rejected proposals to meet in Belarus, a country closely aligned with the Kremlin.
“It is absolutely impossible for me to meet Putin in Moscow. That would be the same as meeting him in Kyiv,” Zelensky stated.
“I can invite him to Kyiv—let him come. I invite him publicly, if he dares, of course,” he added.
The Ukrainian president has reportedly been in a tense exchange with European leaders over the past two weeks. In a press Q&A, Zelensky also sharply criticized Europe, suggesting it bears responsibility for air defense gaps that Russia exploited to disrupt Ukraine’s energy supply.
