Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could be held in Turkey, Switzerland, or Austria, provided that firm security guarantees for Ukraine are finalized.
Zelensky noted that Kyiv is holding intensive discussions with allies to determine the nature of such guarantees, adding that details could be clarified within the next 10 days. He reiterated Ukraine’s readiness for direct talks with Russia but warned: “What if the Russians are not ready? Europeans have raised this issue. If Moscow is unwilling, then we want to see a strong response from the United States.”
The Ukrainian leader highlighted recent positive signals from U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested support for security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5. Zelensky said these developments, coupled with Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union, have revived discussions on potential peace negotiations. He also underlined that Turkey has expressed readiness to contribute to Black Sea security.
The comments come shortly after Trump met with Putin in Alaska on August 15, though no final agreement was reached. Three days later, on August 18, Trump hosted Zelensky and European leaders at the White House, alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Talks in Washington centered on potential security commitments for Ukraine modeled on NATO’s collective defense clause. Following the meeting, Trump said discussions with European leaders had been “very good” and announced preparations for a potential trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky, in which he would also participate.
