Ukraine’s President Zelensky Says He’s Ready to Meet Putin for Peace Talks

Tuesday August 19, 2025
By The NewsDESK |

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday signaled readiness to meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to bring an end to the war that has dragged on for more than three years.

Zelensky made the comments in Washington after high-level discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump and several European leaders at the White House.

The meeting marked a turning point as world leaders seek a breakthrough to halt Russia’s ongoing offensive.

“I confirmed — and all European leaders supported me — that we are ready for a bilateral meeting with Putin,” Zelensky told reporters, describing the move as a necessary step despite mounting calls for Ukraine to make territorial concessions.

The Ukrainian leader has faced growing international pressure to cede ground to Moscow, particularly as Russian forces have gained momentum on the battlefield.

Ahead of Monday’s talks, Trump reportedly urged Kyiv to give up Crimea and abandon its NATO aspirations, two longstanding demands of the Kremlin.

But Zelensky insisted the White House talks offered him the chance to reset the narrative. “This was the best of our meetings.

I was able to show many things, even on the map, to all American colleagues regarding the situation on the battlefield,” he said in a statement from his office.

Rather than focusing on territorial compromise, the discussions centered on security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a peace settlement, French President Emmanuel Macron disclosed after the summit.

Trump confirmed that such guarantees would be coordinated between European nations and the United States.

Zelensky stressed that U.S. involvement was critical: “It is important that the United States of America gives a clear signal that it will be among the countries that will assist, coordinate and also be participants in security guarantees for Ukraine.”

According to him, details of those arrangements could be finalized within the next week to ten days.