Zelensky urges 'strong response' from US if Putin rejects talks with Ukraine
If Russian President Vladimir Putin "is not ready" for a one-on-one meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine expects the U.S. to respond with tougher measures, Zelensky said during a meeting with journalists on Aug. 20.
"We are ready for the bilateral meeting. If the Russians are not, then we would like to see a strong response from the United States," Zelensky said, adding that he asked Trump to impose additional sanctions on Moscow if it rejects talks with Ukraine.
The meeting would mark the first encounter between Zelensky and Putin since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. The two leaders last met in Paris in December 2019 as part of Normandy Format talks mediated by France and Germany.
Zelensky said that within the next 7 to 10 days, Ukraine expects to gain clarity on the "architecture" of NATO's "Article 5-like" security guarantees that the West can provide as part of the ongoing peace effort, including how each country's commitment.
After this, he said, U.S. President Donald Trump expects that a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin should take place within "one to two weeks." If that meeting yields results, a trilateral summit involving Trump could follow.
"We need this meeting. We’ve taken a step forward, and now they (Russia) must do something to show they truly want to end the war, as they have claimed," Zelensky added.
Bloomberg reported on Aug. 19 that a package of security guarantees for Ukraine might be finalized this week. European officials have reportedly discussed sending British and French troops to Ukraine, along with contingents from roughly 10 other countries.
The Kremlin has dismissed these security proposals, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying on Aug. 20 that Russia must be involved in providing Ukraine with security guarantees.
Following a bilateral meeting with Trump in Alaska, which didn't yield any peace or ceasefire agreement, Putin returned without facing the sanctions Trump had long threatened but hadn't enforced.
Talk preparations are being led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
Zelensky named Switzerland, Austria, and Turkey as potential hosts for the talks. As for Hungary, he said it would be "not easy," given Budapest’s opposition to supporting Ukraine during the war.
Separately, Zelensky said that Trump will work with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to persuade Budapest to stop blocking Ukraine’s path to European Union membership.
Zelensky has repeatedly voiced readiness for direct negotiations. On Aug. 18, he said he was prepared to discuss territorial issues with Putin personally. The Russian president has so far avoided meeting Zelensky despite claiming openness to talks.
