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Zelenskiy Says He Wants 'strong' US Reaction if Putin Not Ready to Meet
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 21, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
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Zelenskiy urges the US to respond strongly if Putin avoids a meeting, amid unclear territorial concessions and proposed talks in Budapest.
Zelenskiy Calls for Strong U.S. Response if Putin Avoids Meeting
Zelenskiy's Call for U.S. Reaction
KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would like a "strong reaction" from the U.S. if Russian President Vladimir Putin was not willing to sit down for a bilateral meeting with him.
Uncertainty Over Territorial Concessions
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday, Zelenskiy added that it was unclear what concessions regarding territory Moscow was willing to make, and that Budapest as a proposed location for future talks between the two countries was "challenging".
Proposed Location for Talks
(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko and Yuliia Dysa; Writing by Dan Peleschuk, Editing by William Maclean)
Key Takeaways
- •Zelenskiy calls for US action if Putin avoids meeting.
- •Uncertainty over Russia's territorial concessions.
- •Budapest proposed as a challenging location for talks.
- •Zelenskiy addresses reporters in Kyiv.
- •US involvement deemed crucial by Zelenskiy.
Frequently Asked Questions about Zelenskiy says he wants 'strong' US reaction if Putin not ready to meet
1What does Zelenskiy want from the US regarding Putin?
Zelenskiy expressed a desire for a 'strong reaction' from the U.S. if Putin is unwilling to engage in a bilateral meeting.
2What uncertainties did Zelenskiy mention about Moscow?
He noted that it was unclear what territorial concessions Moscow might be willing to make.
3Where did Zelenskiy suggest future talks could take place?
Zelenskiy mentioned Budapest as a proposed location for future talks between the two leaders.
