Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will not attend any peace summit in Moscow while his country is under attack and instead suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin “come to Kyiv.”
Speaking to ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz for “This Week” on Friday, Zelenskyy was asked about Putin’s suggestion that peace talks be held in Moscow. “He can come to Kyiv,” Zelenskyy said. “I can’t go to Moscow when my country’s under missiles, under attack, each day. I can’t go to the capital of this terrorist.”
The summit held in Alaska last month between President Donald Trump and Putin ended without any concrete pathway to peace.
Trump is now seeking a formal meeting that includes Putin and Zelenskyy, where the topic of recognizing Russian land acquisition and a ceasefire contingent on Western military assistance will be discussed.
The messages coming out of Moscow regarding a formal peace summit have been wildly inconsistent.
Earlier in the week, Putin said “he has never been against meeting with Zelenskyy,” adding, “If Zelenskyy is ready, then let him come to Moscow,” while also saying, “This meeting will take place.”
This sentiment contradicts the words of Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov who dismissed last week the likelihood of any such peace summit occurring in the future and indicated Putin accepted merely to “raise the level of its representation at talks with Ukraine.”
Trump told the Daily Caller in August that he’s doubtful Putin and Zelenskyy will be meeting any time soon lamenting that the two nations may have to “fight a little longer.” The president has grown frustrated with the lack of progress on peace talks and asked European leaders to be tougher on Russia.
The president has indicated he’s willing to use U.S. airpower to support European forces in Ukraine but promised not to commit to American troops on the ground.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
