Ukraine's Zelensky reveals he's ready to speak with Putin: "We have to meet"

Berlin, Germany - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at a G20 summit in Miami, in an interview released Saturday, as efforts intensify to end the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (l) said he would be open to meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin during the upcoming G20 Summit. Diplomatic efforts to end the war on Ukraine have intensified recently, including talks held by US negotiators.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (l) said he would be open to meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin during the upcoming G20 Summit. Diplomatic efforts to end the war on Ukraine have intensified recently, including talks held by US negotiators.  © Collage: SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP & Kristina Solovyova / POOL / AFP

Asked by broadcaster Deutsche Welle if he would meet Putin at the gathering in December if both leaders were invited, he responded: "Yes, of course. We have to come. We have to meet, to speak, and make decisions.

"It's not about words. What I will tell him or what he wants to tell me, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Matters only result. Result matters. That's it."

Washington has recently sought to kick-start long-stalled efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth year, with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visiting Moscow and Kyiv last weekend.

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Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump also discussed the war last week in what the Kremlin termed an "extremely frank" and constructive hour-long phone call.

Zelensky said in the DW interview, which took place Friday, that Witkoff and Kushner's visit was a "good signal", and it was important the pair had visited Kyiv as well as Moscow.

"It's respect to our people."

The US this year holds the presidency of the Group of 20 major economies, which comprises 19 nations plus the EU and the African Union.

In early September, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was welcomed to a G20 meeting in North Carolina, causing discomfort among Ukraine's European allies.

And a Russian diplomat said Saturday that Moscow will send some officials to a G20 energy meeting in Houston next week.

Cover photo: Collage: SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP & Kristina Solovyova / POOL / AFP

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