Kenneth Glad
Diplomatic urgency is rising as colder months approach. Leaders are weighing security needs, sanctions and possible talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin before winter, according to TV 2.
At the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Zelenskyy said a meeting could be important, but that US President Donald Trump should invite both sides.
“I think it is very important,” Zelenskyy said.
Winter matters because it can harden front lines, increase pressure on energy systems and narrow the room for political maneuvering.
Ukraine has recently stepped up strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, writes Reuters.
Moscow offer rejected
The Russian state news agency TASS reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Zelenskyy could come to Moscow if he was ready for what Moscow described as serious talks:
“Zelensky, you know that Putin has actually said everything, everything was offered. It was said and repeated several times that if Zelensky is ready to speak responsibly and seriously, the Kiev regime knows perfectly well what he is talking about, then he can always come to Moscow, where he will be received.”
Zelenskyy rejected Moscow as a venue and also ruled out Ukraine.
For the Ukrainian president, talks in the Russian capital would put the meeting on the invader’s ground and give the Kremlin powerful symbolism before negotiations even began.
Pressure builds at G7
Zelenskyy named Switzerland, Turkey or countries in the Middle East as possible alternatives. Any meeting would be the first between the two leaders since 2019.
Politico reports that the G7 leaders reached a broad political agreement to increase economic pressure on Russia, though details were limited.
Donald Trump suggested Washington could soon restore sanctions tied to Russian oil shipments, after earlier easing some restrictions as energy prices rose.
Speaking at the G7 summit, he linked the timing to renewed oil movement through the Strait of Hormuz, saying the US would be better placed to act once supply concerns had eased.
“Soon we’ll be able to do that because the oil is now flowing,” Trump said, according to AP. “We’re in a position to do that soon.”
Trump also framed the war as a conflict he still wanted to help end, while acknowledging the human cost.
“The whole thing is ridiculous,” Trump said. “So, yeah, I’m going to do whatever I can.”
Air defense tops agenda
Zelenskyy said G7 leaders agreed that Russia is not winning the war. He also warned that Russia could face a difficult winter if no peace agreement is reached before then, TV 2 reports.
Ukraine’s president used the summit to underline one of Kyiv’s most urgent military needs: Stronger protection from the air.
Additional air defense systems are not only a battlefield issue, but also a way to shield cities, energy sites and civilian infrastructure from continued Russian attacks.
“Everyone recognizes this, everyone will help, and the entire international community will work to strengthen our defense,” he said.
Sources: TV 2, TASS, Politico, Reuters
