Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet in Moscow twice in one week, a location rejected by Kyiv.
The invitation follows U.S. President Donald Trump saying he intends to set up a meeting between the two leaders to end the war, but their failure to agree a venue presents a huge challenge to achieving peace.
Zelensky dismissed the invitation, arguing that Putin is actually trying to avoid negotiations taking place at all.
"As I see it, if your aim is to prevent a meeting, then inviting me to Moscow is the way to go," he said at a press conference in Paris on Thursday.
Why It Matters
After U.S. President Donald Trump's historic meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15, he said he intends to get both Putin and Zelensky in the same room for a face-to-face meeting.
A meeting location is not merely logistical: it signals which party holds leverage. The optics of Zelensky visiting Moscow, or Putin visiting Kyiv might be interpreted diplomatically as one side giving in to the other. So a neutral venue agreeable to both sides would be seen by many as the only option.
What To Know
On Wednesday at a news conference in Beijing, Putin said Trump had asked him to meet with Zelensky.
"I have never refused this, provided the meeting is well-prepared and can lead to some positive potential outcomes," he said. "Donald asked me if I could possibly arrange such a meeting. I replied that yes, it's possible. Ultimately, if Zelensky is ready, let him come to Moscow—then the meeting will take place."
He said there are currently no plans for such a meeting in Moscow but added that the invite is "on the table," according to translations by the Turkish state news agency Anadolu Agency.
Putin made similar comments again on Friday, at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, when he said: "If someone genuinely wants to meet with us—we are ready. The best place for this is the capital of the Russian Federation, the hero city Moscow."
"Quite recently, the leadership of the Kyiv regime was speaking rather unfavorably about us, to put it mildly, and ruled out any possibility of direct contacts," he said, according to a Anadolu Agency translation, "Now we see that they are asking for these contacts or, at least, proposing them."
On Thursday, Europe's "Coalition of the Willing" summit took place in Paris, where European countries gathered to "finalize robust security guarantees for Ukraine," as French President Emmanuel Macron said.
It was at a press conference for this event that Zelensky rejected Putin's offer, according to the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
"The meeting is necessary. It is not about desire, but it is necessary. We supported both the trilateral and bilateral meetings in any format. I believe that Russia is doing everything to delay it," he said. "Our American partners told us that Putin invited me to Moscow. I believe that if you don't want the meeting to happen, you need to invite me to Moscow."
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X: "Right now, at least seven countries are ready to host a meeting between leaders of Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to the war. Austria, the Holy See, Switzerland, Türkiye, and three Gulf states.
"These are serious proposals and President Zelenskyy is ready for such a meeting at any point of time. Yet, Putin continues to mess around with everyone by making knowingly unacceptable proposals. Only increased pressure can force Russia to finally get serious about peace process."
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday: "I'll know pretty much what we're going to be doing. We've taken very strong action. But I'll be speaking to (Putin) over the next few days, and we're going to see. I'm going to know exactly what's happening,"
What Happens Next
Diplomatically, the immediate question is whether Kyiv, Washington and European partners can agree on a neutral venue or whether pressure from the U.S. and its allies will shift Russia's position.
Diplomatic contacts are expected to continue: President Trump has said he will speak with both leaders and the "coalition of the willing" has scheduled further consultations on security guarantees.