Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that he had sought a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains. He said European countries and the United States had supported the initiative, but Russia continued to show no interest in engaging in direct talks.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the claim, saying no such message or invitation had ever reached Moscow.
Peskov added that Russia’s proposal for President Zelenskyy to come to Moscow for what he described as proper and organized negotiations aimed at ending the war remains valid. According to him, Zelenskyy rejected the proposal, saying he would never set foot in Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also criticized Zelenskyy’s remarks, accusing the Ukrainian leader of lying and playing on people’s emotions.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said that drone strikes inside Russian territory, carried out with the support of European countries, were shifting the balance of the conflict in Ukraine’s favor. Reports indicate that Kyiv needs around $20 billion to sustain attacks targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure.
Russia maintains that an immediate ceasefire could be achieved if Ukraine withdrew all of its troops from the Donbas region. Kyiv, however, has firmly rejected the condition, insisting that it will not relinquish control over territories it considers part of Ukraine.
The exchange reflects the continued deadlock between the two sides despite repeated calls from Western leaders for renewed diplomacy. While Moscow says it remains open to negotiations, Ukraine insists that any talks must respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
With fighting continuing and neither side willing to compromise on key demands, prospects for a negotiated settlement remain uncertain, raising concerns that the conflict could drag on even longer.
