Zelensky ready for talks with Putin to end war

FE Team | Published: August 19, 2025 22:31:53

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (AFP): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he was willing to meet directly with his Russian counterpart to end the war.
Speaking to reporters after talks with US President Donald Trump and several European leaders at the White House, Zelensky said he was ready for what would be his first face-to-face with Vladimir Putin since Moscow's invasion nearly three and a half years ago.
"I confirmed-and all European leaders supported me-that we are ready for a bilateral meeting with Putin," Zelensky said following the summit.
Zelensky has come under increasing pressure to cede territory to end the grinding war, as Russia makes a series of advances.
Ahead of the White House meeting, Trump had pushed Ukraine to give up Crimea and abandon its goal of joining NATO-both key demands made by Putin.
But Zelensky stressed he had been able to present a clearer picture of the battlelines to Trump, who he met in a one-on-one in the Oval Office.
"This was the best of our meetings," Zelensky said, according to a statement put out by his office.
"I was able to show many things, even on the map, to all American colleagues regarding the situation on the battlefield."
Rather than concessions from Ukraine, the summit focused on arranging security guarantees in the event of a peace deal, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters afterwards.
Trump said the guarantees "would be provided by the various European Countries (in) coordination with the United States of America."
Zelensky added that "it is important that the United States of America gives a clear signal that it will be among the countries that will assist, coordinate and also be participants in security guarantees for Ukraine."
Zelensky said those plans would be "formalized in some way in the next week or ten days."
Macron suggests Geneva hosts
Putin-Zelensky talks
French President Emmanuel Macron suggested Geneva could play host to a peace summit between Russian and Ukrainian leaders Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, who look set to meet after separate talks with US President Donald Trump.
Speaking after he and other European leaders joined the Ukrainian president for high-stakes meetings at the White House on Monday, Macron said the announced Zelensky-Putin summit would be held in Europe.
"It will be (hosted by) a neutral country, maybe Switzerland-I'm pushing for Geneva-or another country," Macron said in an interview aired Tuesday on French news channel LCI.
"The last time there were bilateral talks, they were held in Istanbul," he added, referring to the three rounds of lower-level negotiations between Russia and Ukraine held in Turkey between May and July.
Macron said France and Britain would hold a meeting Tuesday with other Ukrainian allies to "keep them up to date on what was decided" in Washington on providing security guarantees for Ukraine, a key talking point in the meetings with Trump.
"Right after that, we'll start concrete work with the Americans. So as of tomorrow (Tuesday), our diplomatic advisers, ministers, chiefs of staff begin work on seeing who's ready to do what," he said.
Addressing whether Zelensky would be forced to give up territory to Russia, Macron said it was "up to Ukraine".
"Ukraine will make the concessions it deems just and right," he said.
But "let's be very careful when we talk about legal recognition", he added.
"If countries... can say, 'we can take territory by force', (that) opens a Pandora's box."
China 'supports' ongoing
peace talks on Ukraine
China said on Tuesday it supports "all efforts" towards peace between Russia and Ukraine after presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky looked set for a summit in the coming weeks.
"China always believes that dialogue and negotiation are the only solution to the Ukraine crisis," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, adding: "We support all efforts that are conducive to peace."