Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would be ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Miami if both leaders are invited, as international efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war intensify.
Speaking to Deutsche Welle in an interview released Saturday, Zelensky was asked whether he would meet Putin at the December G20 summit.
“Yes, of course,” Zelensky said, making clear that he would be willing to sit down with the Russian leader if the opportunity arises.
Zelensky stressed that the purpose of such a meeting should be to make decisions and achieve tangible results rather than simply exchange statements.
According to the Ukrainian president, what each leader says during the meeting is less important than whether it produces concrete progress toward ending the conflict.
US Pushes for New Peace Efforts
Zelensky’s remarks come as the United States steps up diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow and Kyiv last weekend as Washington seeks to restart stalled efforts aimed at ending the war.
Zelensky described their visit as a “good signal” and said it was particularly important that the US representatives visited Kyiv as well as Moscow.
He said the decision showed respect for Ukraine and its people.
US President Donald Trump has also held discussions with Putin over the conflict. The Kremlin described their approximately hour-long phone conversation last week as “extremely frank” and constructive.
Russia Set to Attend G20-Related Meetings
Russia’s involvement in G20 events has also attracted attention from Ukraine’s European allies.
The United States currently holds the G20 presidency. The group includes 19 major economies, along with the European Union and the African Union.
Earlier in September, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended a G20 meeting in North Carolina, a move that reportedly caused discomfort among some of Ukraine’s European partners.
A Russian diplomat said Saturday that Moscow will also send officials to a G20 energy meeting in Houston next week.
If Putin and Zelensky are both invited to the December summit in Miami, a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders could become a major diplomatic development in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
