Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially proposed a multilateral high-level meeting involving the United States and major European countries immediately after a currency call between the Russian and American leaders. President Zelensky urged the international community for continued involvement, saying that a situation in which the United States takes a step back in negotiations could work in favor of President Putin.
On the 19th (local time), according to Reuters and DPA, President Zelensky stated at a press conference held in Kyiv that "we are pushing for a high-level meeting attended by all major stakeholders," expressing his intention to create a dialogue platform with the United States, the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom, Russia, and others.
President Zelensky added that he is considering Turkey, the Vatican, and Switzerland as potential locations for the meeting. He emphasized that he is "ready to respond to any format of direct dialogue with Russia that can yield results," but he also clarified that if Russia demands negotiations on the premise of troop withdrawal, it is essentially tantamount to rejecting negotiations.
These comments came shortly after former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call lasting over two hours, interpreted as a cautious move regarding the possibility that the U.S. position could work against Ukraine.
President Zelensky stated via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that he also had two conversations with Trump around the time of the Trump-Putin call, urging the United States for continued involvement in the negotiation process. He emphasized, "In one-on-one conversations, I clearly expressed my willingness for an unconditional complete ceasefire."
After the call between Putin and Trump, he noted that he participated in multilateral currency calls with Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
President Zelensky pointed out, "All proposals must be evaluated objectively, and it is essential for representatives from the United States and Europe to engage in negotiations at an appropriate level," noting that "if the United States distances itself from negotiations, the only one benefiting will be Putin."
Zelensky also stated, "If Putin insists on unrealistic demands, he intends to prolong the war," asserting the need for a strong response from the international community correspondingly, especially a new package of sanctions.
In this context, he revealed that the European Union (EU) is preparing a new sanctions package against Russia and has requested the United States to strengthen sanctions in the financial and institutional sector.