Zelensky Discusses Potential Putin Meeting with Trump at G7 Summit Ukraine’s president says he’s chasing a meeting; the Kremlin insists there was never an invitation. In between stands Donald Trump, suddenly positioning himself as would‑be broker at a G7 summit built around showing unity on Ukraine.

Zelensky: Any time, any place, especially with Trump in the room

Volodymyr Zelensky’s line is simple: he’s knocking, and Putin won’t open the door. He told reporters he had offered to meet Vladimir Putin “on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France,” but “Putin did not respond.” Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials, pushed the idea “through several channels — via intermediaries, diplomats, and intelligence,” only to receive “no clear response from the Russian Federation.”

Zelensky says he even floated hosting a summit in the United States, describing how he and Donald Trump discussed organizing a meeting with Putin there “in a format, in which it would be much more difficult for Putin to refuse at least President Trump.” Ukraine, he added, had proposed talks with Moscow “in any format” that could produce “real decisions to end the war.”

Trump: Self‑styled dealmaker returns to the file

For Trump, fresh off an Iran deal, the G7 was a stage to “once again focus closely on the Russian-Ukrainian settlement” after meeting Zelensky in Evian-les-Bains. His renewed interest unsettles some Europeans, who fear Washington freelancing could blunt their “maximum pressure” strategy on Moscow even as the summit’s official agenda centers on security guarantees and sanctions unity.

Kremlin: No invite, wrong venue, come to Moscow

Moscow’s response is to deny the premise. “No invitation for Vladimir Putin to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 summit was sent through official channels,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, stressing “there are no official channels between Moscow and Kyiv.” If Zelensky is “ready to speak responsibly and seriously,” Peskov added, “he can always come to Moscow, where he will be received.”

So the contrast is stark: Kyiv says it’s chasing peace in any venue that raises the political cost of Putin’s refusal; the Kremlin disputes the very paperwork and offers a meeting only on its own turf; and Trump is eager to play host, even as America’s allies wonder whose script he’s really following.