Zelenskyy aims to discuss the sluggish progress of peace negotiations with Russia, planning to engage in conversations with Trump and leaders from Europe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to attend a meeting in China that will also include Iran and North Korea, countries that have been reported to aid Russia's war effort, according to the United States. This news comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks to meet with international leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and European heads, to discuss efforts to end the three-year war with Russia.
The proposed meetings aim to add momentum to the push for peace, as Zelenskyy has expressed frustration with Russia's lack of constructive engagement. The meetings are expected around mid-August 2025, including video calls coordinated from Berlin on August 13 and a U.S. gathering shortly after, ahead of Trump’s planned meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15, 2025.
The European leaders likely to attend include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish and Finnish leaders, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President António Costa, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
The meetings were called after a major Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine that killed at least 23 people, including four children, and wounded more than 50. The death toll is a tragic reminder of the ongoing conflict, with the youngest victim being a 2-year-old girl. Some bodies have yet to be identified, and eight people remain unaccounted for, authorities said.
In response to these attacks, Zelenskyy urged swift secondary sanctions on countries that trade with Russia and thereby support its war economy. At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, the United States warned Russia to move toward peace and meet with Ukraine or face possible sanctions. Trump has bristled at Putin's stalling on direct peace talks with Zelenskyy, complaining that Putin talks nicely but continues to bomb civilian areas.
Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, met with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in New York to discuss preparations for these upcoming meetings. During the meeting, Yermak briefed Witkoff on Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine and lamented Putin's lack of engagement in peace efforts.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, reiterated Moscow's position that Putin "doesn't rule out" meeting Zelenskyy, but only after progress is made "at the expert level." However, Ukraine has accepted a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire and a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, but Moscow has raised objections.
Zelenskyy also emphasized the importance of postwar security guarantees, stating that these guarantees being assessed by Western countries to deter another Russian invasion in the future must include a secure supply of weapons for Ukraine, either through domestic production or Western provision, and U.S. weapons paid for by Europe.
As the international community continues to work towards a peaceful resolution, authorities in the Kyiv region declared Friday an official day of mourning. Rescue workers pulled 17 people from the rubble after the attack, among them four children. The hope is that these meetings will bring about a lasting peace and an end to the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
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