Zelensky proposes US-hosted Putin summit as Russia bombs Kyiv, EU opens accession talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed to Donald Trump that the US host a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin, aiming to corner the Kremlin into peace talks. The push came as Russian attacks on Kyiv killed four and Brussels opened EU accession talks for Ukraine and Moldova.
Zelensky’s US summit proposal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked former US president Donald Trump to host a trilateral meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on American soil, framing it as a format Putin would find far harder to reject. Zelensky relayed the idea during the G7 summit in Evian, France, where he was set to join leaders for discussions on building peace and security for Ukraine and Europe.
We offered Putin the possibility to meet anywhere concrete decisions to end the war could be taken. He did not accept. We discussed with the US and France the possibility of a meeting with Russia at the G7 but Putin did not agree. Yesterday, we suggested to Trump that such a meeting could be organized in the United States, in a format that would make it much harder for Putin to refuse, at least in front of President Trump.
Zelensky warned that if Russia again refuses, further pressure will be needed. The proposal follows months of stalled negotiations and a Ukrainian campaign of deep drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, altering the battlefield calculus.
Trump signals optimism after Iran deal
Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the G7, Trump said he had held “excellent” conversations with both Zelensky and Putin, and sees an opening. His renewed focus on Ukraine comes after finalizing an agreement with Iran on the Middle East crisis.
I believe both are open to a solution. Now that this matter is concluded, we will focus on that other one. Let’s see if we can bring it to a close.
Trump noted that around 25,000 people die each month in the conflict, mostly soldiers. Macron, a leading advocate for stronger US backing, stressed that he wants Washington to say clearly it will keep helping Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia.
Kyiv under fire
While diplomacy played out in Evian, Russia hit the Ukrainian capital with missiles and drones overnight. At least four people were killed and the historic Dormition Cathedral was struck, according to the Corriere della Sera. The attack underscored the brutal reality that continued to grind on as leaders talked.
EU accession milestone
Separately, Brussels opened the first cluster of EU accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova. Zelensky hailed the step on social media, calling it a signal that Europe’s progress cannot be stopped and saying the two neighbours would reach membership together.
The opening of the first cluster in the accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova sends a clear message: Europe’s progress cannot be stopped. Our neighbourhood with Moldova is strong. We support each other and are moving together toward the EU, and we will get there together.
Lukashenko’s trilateral offer
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko injected a parallel proposal, declaring that he, Putin and Zelensky should sit at a single table to thrash out how to overcome the war’s consequences. He said he had discussed with Putin the need to prevent the conflict from spilling into Belarus.
We need to overcome this conflict, sit down at the negotiating table, the three of us – Lukashenko, Putin and Zelensky – and agree how to deal with its consequences. I proposed this solution a long time ago. This proposal has not disappeared, it has not been forgotten.
