Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Vladimir Putin’s proposal to meet in Moscow, calling it unrealistic and insincere. He told ABC News he would not travel to “the capital of this terrorist” while Ukraine faces daily missile attacks. Zelenskyy instead invited Putin to come to Kyiv.
Dispute Over Meeting Location Escalates
US President Donald Trump has pushed for direct talks between the two leaders, proposing bilateral or trilateral meetings. Trump highlighted this as a key objective of his summit with Putin in Alaska last month. He later announced that Putin and Zelenskyy would meet after Zelenskyy’s Washington visit and talks with European allies. Moscow, however, added new conditions and intensified shelling of Ukrainian cities, stalling progress. Putin declared this week he was ready to meet in Moscow. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted the invitation aimed “to talk, not to capitulate.” Speaking in Paris, Zelenskyy replied that inviting him to Moscow was a way to block real dialogue. He added that even Russia’s mention of a meeting marked some progress. Trump later told CBS News that talks “will happen,” but he gave no clear timeline.
Zelenskyy Condemns Russian Strikes and Calls for Action
Zelenskyy reported on Saturday that Russia launched over 1,300 drones, nearly 900 guided bombs, and about 50 missiles in the first five days of September. He confirmed the attacks struck 14 regions across Ukraine. He accused Moscow of prolonging the war and trying to “turn diplomacy into a blatant farce.” He urged Ukraine’s allies to respond with tougher sanctions, greater arms supplies, and stronger restrictions on Russian oil and gas trade.
