Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is “not afraid” to meet with Vladimir Putin following reports of a possible upcoming trilateral meeting alongside Donald Trump.
“Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side. It is time we ended the war,” he wrote on social media on Thursday.
The Kremlin had earlier confirmed that a meeting between the Russian leader and the US president had been agreed and is expected to take place next week, but declined to comment on the Ukrainian leader’s involvement.
Mr Zelensky has repeatedly offered to meet with Putin in-person, but his requests have been swiftly denied by the Kremlin which has stuck to its maximalist demands required for a ceasefire.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Mr Trump told his allies he would first meet with Putin, followed by a session involving Mr Zelensky but none of Kyiv’s European allies.
