Ukraine offered to organise meeting between Zelensky and Putin: Umerov named deadline

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may hold a personal meeting with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. This was reported by Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov on the air of a telethon, stressing that the Ukrainian delegation had officially proposed to hold such talks between 20 and 30 June.

According to the minister, the key issues between Kiev and Moscow can be resolved exclusively at the level of leaders. Umerov added that US President Donald Trump might also take part in the talks.

We believe that the work of negotiating groups makes sense only when it is aimed at preparing a meeting of leaders. We have proposed to the Russian side to hold such a meeting before the end of the month. This is important for the advancement of the process, - said the head of the Ukrainian delegation.

Earlier, Zelensky had already suggested Putin to meet in Istanbul, but the latter ignored the initiative. Instead, Russia sent a delegation led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, which drew criticism from Ukraine and Western partners, considering it a demonstration of the Kremlin's unwillingness to engage in dialogue at a serious level.

Earlier Socialportal reported that during the second round of peace talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation handed Russian representatives a list of children who should be returned to Ukraine. According to him, we are talking about hundreds of minors deported or forcibly displaced, as well as held in the temporarily occupied territories. Yermak stressed that the return of these children is one of the key elements of a just peace and restoration of trust.