Zelensky reveals G7 sidelines meeting offer to Putin, says Russia again refused talks
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President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 15 that he had proposed meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France to discuss ending Moscow's war against Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelensky said Ukraine had sought to arrange a meeting involving key Western leaders in an effort to revive stalled peace negotiations.
"We sent a message expressing our willingness to meet with Putin during the G7 summit because (U.S. President Donald) Trump and (French President Emmanuel) Macron will be there — so it's the Europeans plus the U.S.," Zelensky said.
"I think it would've been a good — in fact, a very good — opportunity," he added. "Europe and the United States have agreed, while Russia has once again shown that it is not ready to engage in dialogue."
The remarks come as Kyiv intensifies pressure on the Russian president to hold direct talks, which would mark the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since the start of Russia's all-out war. Zelensky has long argued that only Putin has the authority to end the war.
"That's why we have to be ready to pressure Putin more until he ends this war," Zelensky said. "We will speak with (Trump) about how to push the Russian president to stop this war."
U.S.-mediated peace talks have effectively been frozen since February. Since then, Washington has been consumed by its war with Iran, which both Ukrainian and U.S. officials say became the main reason talks lost momentum.
Zelensky and Trump are expected to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit on June 16.
The Kremlin has consistently avoided meeting with Zelensky in a neutral country, insisting instead that the Ukrainian president travel to Moscow — a proposal Kyiv views as an attempt to avoid meaningful negotiations altogether.
Zelensky has repeatedly called for direct talks with Putin. Just a week ago, he invited the Russian leader to meet in a neutral country to discuss the framework of a peace agreement, proposing that Ukraine observe a full ceasefire during negotiations.
Putin said he "sees no point in meeting with Zelensky."
The two presidents last met in person in Paris in December 2019 during the Normandy Format talks mediated by France and Germany.
