Zelenskyy ready to meet Putin at December G20 summit in Miami

President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his readiness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the upcoming G20 summit in Miami, should Putin choose to attend, according to an interview with Deutsche Welle published on September 12. The G20 summit is set to take place in the United States in December. Zelensky emphasized that the meeting is not merely about words, but about making decisions and achieving tangible results.

This stance contrasts starkly with Zelensky and Putin's history of not meeting in person since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The Kremlin has not confirmed whether Putin will participate in the G20 summit, noting that Putin has not personally attended a G20 leaders' summit since 2019.

The comments from Zelensky come as the United States and other allies intensify efforts to restart negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Kyiv earlier this month following discussions in Moscow. Zelensky told DW that Ukraine is now in a good position for negotiations, citing Russia's continued heavy battlefield losses for limited territorial gains as a reason.

He also mentioned that Ukraine has discussed a potential energy and grain ceasefire with U.S. envoys as a starting point for broader talks.

Zelensky's optimism about the prospects for negotiations is tempered by the U.S. diplomatic push's lack of success so far. According to people familiar with the negotiations, Moscow remains unwilling to make substantial concessions despite revised U.S. proposals aimed at reviving talks. Zelensky expressed the expectation that the war would continue into the winter, while the Kremlin has stated it does not rule out renewed trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S., though no specific date or location has been set.