Calgary Tribune - Zelensky open to meeting Putin at G20 in Miami

The Kremlin said it has not yet made a decision on whether Putin would attend the gathering of world leaders in December, and repeated the Russian leader's demand that Zelensky come to Russia for talks.

Washington is seeking to kick-start long-stalled negotiations to find a solution to the conflict, Europe's deadliest since World War II, with US negotiators recently visiting Kyiv and Moscow and President Donald Trump and Putin this week holding talks on the conflict over the phone.

The United States holds this year's presidency of the Group of 20 major economies, which comprises 19 countries plus the European Union and the African Union, and culminates in the December 14-15 leaders' summit.

Russia's finance minister has already attended a G20 meeting, causing discomfort among some of Ukraine's European allies, and a Russian delegation is set to take part in an energy ministers' gathering next week.

Asked whether he would be willing to meet Putin at the December summit if both leaders were invited, Zelensky told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle: "Yes, of course.

"We have to come. We have to meet, to speak, and make decisions. It's not about words. What I will tell him or what he wants to tell me, it doesn't matter."

All that mattered were "results", he added.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was cited by Russia's TASS news agency as saying that "we do not know yet whether we will be going to Miami".

Peskov repeated Putin's demand that Zelensky come to Russia -- which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, triggering the war -- for any talks: "If he really wants to meet Putin, then Putin has said before that he can fly to Moscow."

Last weekend, US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Putin and Trump also discussed the war during the week in what the Kremlin termed an "extremely frank" and constructive hour-long phone call.

In the Deutsche Welle interview, which took place Friday in Canada, Zelensky said that Witkoff and Kushner's visit was a "good signal", and it was important the pair had visited Kyiv as well as Moscow.

"It's respect to our people," he said.

Zelensky has also announced he plans to meet Trump in late September, as Washington pushes for fresh face-to-face talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

- 'Good position for talks' -

Asked about Ukraine's position ahead of possible negotiations, Zelensky responded: "Ukraine now is much more stronger than last year on the battlefield.

"That's why we think that we have now (a) good position for negotiations."

Kyiv has said the talks could happen as early as this month, but the Kremlin on Monday said it was "too early" to discuss a venue or dates.

Several previous rounds of negotiations have failed. Trust between the sides is low, and there is no sign that Moscow or Kyiv have shifted their positions.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have escalated long-range strikes on each other in recent months, leading to the highest civilian death toll since the early days of the war.

Overnight Russian strikes killed four people in Ukraine, including two in Zaporizhzhia in the south and two at an ArcelorMittal plant in central Kryvyi Rih, local authorities and the steelmaker said Saturday.

In the southern port city of Odesa, Russian missile and drone strikes hit residential buildings, destroying entire floors and leaving 35 people injured, the regional governor said.

In the interview, Zelensky also repeated his call for Ukraine's allies to provide more missiles to fend off Russian air attacks.

Ukraine urgently needs more interceptor missiles for US-made Patriot air defence systems, but US supplies have been reduced after Washington used large numbers during its war with Iran.

It was not clear whether Washington would provide enough missiles, said Zelensky, adding that they have "political will to sell and to help, but the production is not too big".

He also urged greater help from European allies: "All the Europeans who really support us have what we need."

R.Morgan--CT