Zelensky responds to Putin: "He can come to Kyiv"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's proposal for an in-person meeting in Moscow, saying Putin "can go to Kyiv" if he truly wants to build bridges and negotiate an end to the war.

"I can't go to Moscow while my country is being attacked with missiles every day. I can't go to this terrorist's capital," Zelensky said in an interview with the American television station ABC News.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Martha Raddatz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declined Vladimir Putin's suggestion he come to Moscow to negotiate an end to the war: “He can come to Kyiv” pic.twitter.com/4xsLldRRh5

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“Putin knows this,” he added, adding, “he may come to Kyiv.”

For Zelensky, Putin's proposal this week for a meeting in Moscow is only intended to "postpone" a potential meeting.

"If someone doesn't want to meet, they can propose something that is not acceptable to me or other parties," Zelensky argued, insisting that he "remains ready" to meet with the Russian leader in "any format."

The idea of ​​an in-person meeting between the two leaders stems from diplomatic efforts launched by US President Donald Trump and was initially proposed to take place two weeks after the summits in Alaska and Washington, on August 15 and 18.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andri Sibiga said that seven other countries – Austria, the Vatican, Switzerland, Turkey and three Gulf states – have already offered to host the meeting.

Moscow's proposal as a meeting point for the two opponents in the war in Ukraine was presented by Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, when the Russian president was in Beijing to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

"If Zelensky is ready, let him come to Moscow and that meeting will take place," he said live on television in his country, confirming that US President Donald Trump had asked him to meet with the Ukrainian leader.

"Donald asked me to hold the meeting if possible. I said yes, it's possible," he said.

The Russian President said he had never ruled out the possibility of a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, although he questioned whether the meeting would make "any sense."

At the same time, he again called into question Zelensky's legitimacy by remaining in office beyond his term.

However, Ukraine, which has been under martial law since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022, is unable to hold representative elections, as part of its territory is occupied and what is not is hit daily by bombings.