Lauge Risom Koch 
Ukraine is ready to discuss territorial issues in a direct meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss territorial issues. According to the Kyiv Post, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed this diplomatic stance following a two-day visit to Finland. Kyiv officially backed a recent phone call between the Russian leader and two Nordic heads of state.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre conveyed Ukraine’s demand for a ceasefire. The Nordic leaders also delivered a formal proposal for a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin. The roughly 90-minute conversation confirmed that trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia will continue in Abu Dhabi in November.
Sybiha stated that only a direct meeting between the two presidents can bring new quality to the negotiations. “Zelensky is ready to discuss the most difficult and sensitive issues, including the territorial question,” the foreign minister stated. He added that direct talks could facilitate confidence-building measures like prisoner exchanges and the return of abducted Ukrainian children.
European diplomacy and venue disputes
The Ukrainian government considers the specific venue unimportant provided the meeting occurs outside of Russia or Belarus. Sybiha explicitly dismissed a recent Russian invitation for Zelensky to visit Moscow as a fundamentally unserious proposal. The Kremlin continues to insist that the Russian capital remains the best location to guarantee the safety of the Ukrainian president.
The recent Nordic phone call with Putin drew criticism from some European officials regarding independent diplomatic initiatives. Stubb and Støre clarified that they conducted the conversation in their national capacities rather than representing the wider continent. Sybiha subsequently urged European leaders to establish a stronger, unified role in future peace negotiations while keeping Washington involved.
The foreign minister expressed concern that the current American administration has moved toward accommodating certain Russian demands. These perceived accommodations include sanctions relief, resumed diesel purchases, and pressure for a change in Ukrainian leadership. Despite these issues, Sybiha acknowledged that obtaining real security guarantees for the future remains impossible without American involvement.
Ongoing attacks and summit scheduling
The push for new diplomatic channels follows intensified Russian aerial attacks across Ukrainian territory. Russian forces launched 100 ballistic missiles at Ukraine over a period of two weeks. Despite these ongoing strikes, Sybiha noted that he returned from Finland feeling hopeful about future diplomatic progress.
American President Donald Trump recently stated he hopes to hold a summit with Putin and Zelensky very soon. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that any potential talks would require extensive preparation beforehand. Zelensky previously proposed meeting Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit, but Peskov labeled that option impossible.
The Ukrainian president previously proposed holding a summit in a neutral country backed by Western security guarantees. The Kremlin dismissed that proposal and reiterated its invitation for Zelensky to travel to Moscow instead. Putin initially issued that invitation in September 2025 while simultaneously questioning the legitimacy of the Ukrainian leader.
