Ukraine's Zelenskiy says he offered to meet Putin at G7 or the U.S
Zelenskiy's Diplomatic Efforts to End the War
Proposal for Meeting at G7 or in the United States
KYIV, June 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that he had offered to meet Vladimir Putin at a G7 summit in France this week or even in the United States for talks to end a four-year war.
Zelenskiy, speaking at a historic monastery in Kyiv that was damaged in an overnight attack by Russia, said the United States had agreed to inviting Putin to the gathering, which starts on Monday in Evian-les-Bains.
Opportunity for Multilateral Talks
"We gave message that we are ready to meet with Putin during (the) G7, because Trump is there and Macron is there, so Europeans plus America. This is a good, I think, very good opportunity to meet all together," Zelenskiy told reporters in English.
"Europe and the United States were agreed and Russia demonstrated again that...they are not ready to speak," he said.
Alternative Proposal for U.S. Meeting
Writing later on Telegram, Zelenskiy said he had suggested to Trump in a telephone conversation on Sunday that he and the Russian president meet in the United States.
"Yesterday we discussed with President Trump that such a meeting could be organised in the U.S. in a format that would make it much harder for Putin to refuse, at least to refuse President Trump," he said.
"We will see what comes of this. If Russia rejects this chance too, more pressure will be needed."
International Reactions and Invitations
A Ukrainian official said that Zelenskiy had told the Americans and French President Emmanuel Macron about the proposal for talks at the G7. Ukraine also delivered the invitation directly to Russian counterparts, but received no clear answer, the official said.
Macron's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Putin's Response and Ongoing Conflict
Putin's Public Statement
In an open letter to Putin this month, Zelenskiy offered to meet for face-to-face talks and had suggested that the war was increasing the strain on Russia's economy. In response, Putin said publicly that he saw no reason for a meeting, and Ukraine's long-range drone attacks posed no economic threat.
Recent Attacks and Tensions
Casualties in Kyiv and Kharkiv
At least 10 people were killed in Russia's overnight attack on Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Monday.
Zelenskiy's Accusations Against Putin
Zelenskiy accused the Russian leader of behaving "cynically" by launching the attack hours after he spoke by phone with Trump.
Priorities at the G7 Summit
Securing Air Defence Systems
Zelenskiy said his priority at the G7 meeting would be securing more air defence systems to defend against Russian strikes.
"We will have meeting with Europeans and also with President Trump; we will speak with him about how to push Putin to stop this war," he said.
Editorial Note
(Editing by Daniel Flynn, Peter Graff and Sanjeev Miglani)
