Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold peace talks in Kyiv, rejecting Moscow as a possible venue for negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to ABC News on September 5, Zelensky made it clear that traveling to the Russian capital was “impossible” while Ukraine remains under daily missile and drone attacks.
“He [Putin] can come to Kyiv,” Zelensky said. “I cannot go to Moscow when my country is under missile strikes, attacks every day. I cannot go to the capital of this terrorist. He understands this.”
Earlier the same day, during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin reiterated that the “best place” for talks was Moscow, promising Zelensky a “100 percent security guarantee” if he came. Putin dismissed proposals to meet in third countries as “redundant.”
Zelensky, however, insisted that Putin has no genuine interest in peace:
- “He does not want to meet with me.”
- “He is playing games with the United States.”
European leaders have also expressed skepticism. On August 28, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told French President Emmanuel Macron that a meeting between the two leaders is “clearly not going to happen.”
Still, diplomatic efforts continue. On September 2, at a joint press conference with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, Merz said Geneva could host direct talks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha revealed on September 3 that at least seven countries – including Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, the Vatican, and three Gulf states – had offered to host negotiations. “These are serious proposals, and President Zelensky is ready for such a meeting at any time,” Sybiha wrote on X.
