Zelensky invites Putin to G7 peace talks in France, but Russia rebuffs and launches overnight strikes killing at least 10
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he offered Vladimir Putin a meeting at the G7 summit in France, but Russia rebuffed the overture and launched overnight strikes that killed at least 10 people. Zelensky plans to press allies at the summit for more air defence systems.
A bid for talks rebuffed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he had proposed a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. The summit, which began later that day, brings together leaders of the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and other allies. Zelensky told reporters the United States and Europe had agreed to the idea, but Russia showed once again that it was not ready to speak.
We gave message that we are ready to meet with Putin during (the) G7, because Trump is there and Macron is there, so Europeans plus America. This is a good, I think, very good opportunity to meet all together.
A Ukrainian official said the message had been conveyed to Russian counterparts through various channels some time ago, but no clear answer was given. The Élysée Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- Russian overnight strikes hit Kyiv and Kharkiv, killing at least 10 and damaging the Pechersk Lavra monastery
- Zelensky proposes Putin meeting at G7; Russia says it is not ready to talk
- G7 summit begins in Evian-les-Bains, France
Overnight strikes kill at least 10
Zelensky spoke from the historic Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv, the site of the Dormition Cathedral, which was heavily damaged in Russian strikes overnight from June 14 to 15. The attacks killed five people in the capital, according to a source in the Ukrainian presidency, with the nationwide death toll reaching 11. Reuters reported at least 10 killed in Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
- Kyiv
- 5 people
- Rest of Ukraine
- 6 people
The Ukrainian leader accused Putin of acting cynically by ordering the large-scale attack just hours after a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. The monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, suffered severe damage to its cathedral, underscoring the cultural toll of the war now in its fifth year.
Previous outreach meets Kremlin stonewall
Zelensky had already made overtures for direct talks. In an open letter published earlier in June, he offered to meet Putin face-to-face, warning that the prolonged war was straining Russia's economy. Putin publicly dismissed the idea, saying he saw no reason for a meeting and that Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks posed no economic threat. The Russian leader indicated he would only consider a meeting to sign a final settlement, not for negotiations.
G7: air defence and pressure on Moscow
With the summit under way, Zelensky said his priority is securing additional air defence systems to protect Ukrainian cities from relentless Russian strikes. He plans to hold meetings with European allies and President Trump.
We will have meeting with Europeans and also with President Trump; we will speak with him about how to push Putin to stop this war.
Zelensky stressed the need to increase pressure on the Kremlin until it ends the war, arguing that the latest strikes show Russia's unwillingness to engage in genuine diplomacy.
