Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he is open to a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but only after a clear architecture of security guarantees for Ukraine is established. Zelenskyy stated that he hopes to have a definitive understanding of these guarantees within 7 to 10 days, after which he would be prepared to engage in a trilateral meeting that would also include U.S. President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy’s comments come amid a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at ending the war. After his recent high-stakes summit with Putin in Alaska, President Trump had announced that he was arranging a meeting between the two warring leaders, to be followed by a three-way summit.
In his remarks to the media, Zelenskyy proposed several potential venues for a meeting with Putin, including Switzerland, Austria, or Turkey. He noted that Switzerland and Austria are neutral European countries, while he described Turkey as “a NATO country and part of Europe” and said Ukraine is “not opposed” to it as a host.
While Trump has been pushing for a rapid peace deal, Zelenskyy has insisted that any talks must be preceded by a clear and robust security framework to prevent future Russian aggression. His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, confirmed on Wednesday that Ukrainian military teams have already begun active work with Western allies to establish the “military component” of these security guarantees.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has offered a cautious response to the possibility of a direct meeting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that Moscow is open to all formats of engagement but has cautioned that a summit would require “meticulous preparation.”
The international community, particularly European leaders, has welcomed the U.S. involvement in brokering a potential peace deal, with French President Emmanuel Macron describing a U.S. commitment to providing security guarantees as the “most important” outcome of recent talks. The new push for a direct meeting signals a potential diplomatic breakthrough in the conflict, though many key issues, including territorial claims and Russia’s demand for certain concessions from Ukraine, remain major points of contention.