Russia doing ’everything’ to stop his meeting with Putin: Zelenskiy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Russia is doing “everything possible” to prevent a face-to-face meeting between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and urged Western allies to impose new sanctions on Moscow if it shows no willingness to pursue peace.

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a press conference in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said they had discussed long-term security guarantees for Ukraine from partner states.

He stressed that such guarantees should resemble NATO’s Article 5 commitment, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.

“This is the start of a very big undertaking, and it is not easy,” Zelenskyy said. “Guarantees depend on what our partners can provide Ukraine, but also on the strength of our own armed forces and how we maintain that strength.”

The Ukrainian leader again called on allies to pressure Russia into adopting “at least a minimally productive position.”

Zelenskyy has repeatedly invited Putin to meet. U.S. President Donald Trump recently said Putin had agreed to such a meeting during a phone call, following consultations with European leaders in Washington.

“The Russians are doing everything they can to prevent the meeting from taking place,” Zelenskyy said. “Unlike Russia, Ukraine is not afraid of any meeting with leaders.”