Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Vladimir Putin's offer to hold negotiations in Moscow indicates the Kremlin's reluctance to actually organize such a meeting. He made this statement during a press conference following a meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" in Paris.
"Putin invited me to Moscow. I think that when they don't want a meeting, they invite you to Moscow. However, the fact that Russia has started talking about negotiations is already a positive development," – Zelensky emphasized, as reported by RBC.
At the same time, he added that Ukraine does not yet see any desire on Russia's part to end the conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Moscow if he is willing to meet with him. The Russian leader made this announcement to journalists during a press conference following his visit to China, according to the BBC.
"I have never refused to do this if the meeting is well-prepared and leads to some positive results. Donald asked me if it was possible to hold such a meeting. I said yes, it is possible. After all, if Zelensky is ready, he can come to Moscow, and the meeting will take place," – Putin said.
After the summit in Alaska, where Putin and US President Donald Trump met, the American leader began work on preparing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, said that the meeting is possible with careful preparation.
Zelensky reported that a trilateral format with Trump's participation is preferable for Ukraine.
Zelensky announced the determination of a framework for Ukraine's security guarantees
Meanwhile, following the summit in Paris, the "coalition of the willing" reached an agreement on a common framework for security guarantees for Ukraine, Zelensky said on Thursday, September 4, after a meeting of the group in Paris, according to Deutsche Welle.
He emphasized that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) play a crucial role in ensuring security. However, all participants in the meeting agreed that Moscow rejects any peace initiatives aimed at ending its war against Ukraine.
Following a meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing", French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 countries plan to participate in the peacekeeping mission after the ceasefire.
According to him, these countries have "formally agreed to either send their troops to Ukraine or provide the necessary resources to support the coalition in order to ensure security at sea or in the air."
According to him, the final US decision on security guarantees for Ukraine will be made in the coming days. In the future, Kyiv intends to coordinate sanctions measures against Russia directly with Washington. 35 heads of state and government participated in the consultations in Paris.
Trump demands Europe to give up Russian oil
US President Donald Trump, in a telephone conversation with European leaders, called on them to stop purchasing Russian oil. According to Reuters, he stressed that it is the revenues from the sale of fuel that provide financing for the war against Ukraine. In just one year, Moscow received 1.1 billion euros from the EU countries, writes DW.
In addition, Trump suggested increasing economic pressure on China, which, according to him, provides financial support to Russia.
At a press conference, Volodymyr Zelensky clarified that Trump's displeasure was related to Hungary and Slovakia's oil purchases. These countries had complained to Washington about Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. "I am glad that the United States is openly stating that such actions are helping the Russian war machine," – Zelensky said.
