Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had offered to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G-7 summit in France, Reuters reported. According to Zelensky, the goal was to discuss ending the four-year war, but the Russian leader was not ready for talks, BTA reported.
The United States agreed to invite Putin to the forum, which will begin later today in the French town of Evian on Lake Geneva and will continue until Wednesday this week, Zelensky said during a visit to an ancient monastery that was damaged during a Russian attack last night.
„We sent a message that we are ready to meet with Putin during the G-7 meeting, because Trump and Macron are there, that is, Europe plus America. "I think this is a good, even a very good opportunity for us all to meet together," Zelensky told reporters.
"Europe and the United States agreed, and Russia once again showed that it is not ready to talk," he added.
A Ukrainian representative said that Zelensky had informed US representatives and French President Emmanuel Macron of the proposal for negotiations during the G-7 meeting. Ukraine also extended the invitation directly to Russian representatives, but did not receive a clear response, he pointed out.
Macron's office did not comment on the subject.
During his visit to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Zelensky added that Ukraine would respond to today's large-scale attack, Ukrinform reported.
In response to a question about what he would say to Russian President Vladimir Putin after this attack, Zelensky said: “We will have our say“.
According to Zelensky, it is no coincidence that the Russians launched the massive strike against Ukraine immediately after Putin congratulated US President Donald Trump on his birthday, Ukrinform reports.
According to information from Agence France-Presse, the number of victims in the series of Russian strikes last night has now reached 11.