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Zelenskyy to Putin: If You’re Serious About Peace, Meet Me Face-to-Face
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to meet with Vladimir Putin for direct negotiations, urging Russia to move past vague statements and technical-level meetings and instead engage at the leadership level if it is serious about ending the war, Zelenskyy wrote on X on August 1.
“We have heard the statements coming out of Russia. If these are signals of a genuine willingness to end the war with dignity and establish a truly lasting peace – and not merely an attempt to buy more time for war or delay sanctions – then Ukraine once again reaffirms its readiness to meet at the level of leaders at any time,” Zelenskyy wrote in a statement.
We see and support President Trump’s @POTUS efforts to end Russia’s war, to stop the killing, and to achieve a dignified and lasting peace. We are grateful to everyone around the world who supports peace efforts and helps us protect lives.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 1, 2025
We have heard the statements coming out…
The comments came after Russian leader Vladimir Putin, speaking alongside Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko during a visit to the Valaam Monastery, reiterated that Russia is ready to wait for talks if Ukraine believes “now is not the time,” while affirming that Moscow’s demands from June 2024 remain unchanged. Those demands effectively amount to Ukraine’s capitulation.
Zelenskyy emphasized that real peace cannot be built on technical meetings or vague diplomacy. “We understand who makes the decisions in Russia and who must end this war. The whole world understands this too. Ukraine calls for moving beyond the exchange of statements and technical-level meetings to talks between leaders. The United States has proposed this. Ukraine has supported it. What is needed is Russia’s readiness.”
Zelenskyy also thanked President Donald Trump for his diplomatic efforts. “We see and support President Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s war, to stop the killing, and to achieve a dignified and lasting peace. We are grateful to everyone around the world who supports peace efforts and helps us protect lives.”
Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, echoed the president’s position on Moscow’s rhetoric.
“It’s long past time for Russians to stop the empty talk and come back to reality,” Yermak said.
“There have been too many declarations about peace while the shelling continues. Moscow has taken no real steps toward ending the war.”
In a separate comment, Putin responded to reports that Trump was “disappointed” in him.
“All disappointment comes from inflated expectations,” Putin said. “To resolve this issue through peaceful means, we need detailed conversations, not in public, but in the quiet of the negotiation process.”
He claimed Ukraine had responded positively to the idea of forming negotiation groups to “seek compromise,” but added that “this work has not started yet.”
Meanwhile, Lukashenko urged Ukraine to “run” to Putin and beg for peace talks, warning that otherwise, “the Russians will take everything in a month or two.” Putin replied: “Not take – return. It’s ours.”
Yermak pointed to Ukraine’s willingness to accept a US-backed ceasefire plan offered back in March. “Where is the ceasefire that the US proposed, which we agreed to?”
He added, “President Zelenskyy believes in peace through strength. It’s time for Russia to stop lying from the sidelines and get serious.”
Earlier, Trump condemned Russia’s latest deadly missile strike on Kyiv, calling the attack “disgusting” and promising new sanctions against Moscow.
