Zelenskiy Links War Diplomacy Push to G7 Agenda as Battlefield Strikes Continue

June 16, 2026

Mintesinot Nigussie

Ukraine is seeking to elevate the possibility of direct leadership talks with Russia at this week’s Group of Seven summit in France, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy saying he is open to meeting Vladimir Putin in a high-level format that would also include Western allies.

The Ukrainian leader said discussions have already taken place with US President Donald Trump about the idea of arranging such a meeting in the United States, arguing that the setting could increase the likelihood of Russian participation. “Yesterday we discussed with President Trump that such a meeting could be organised in the U.S. in a format that would make it much harder for Putin to refuse, at least to refuse President Trump,” he wrote on Telegram.

Zelenskiy framed the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains as a potential convergence point for negotiations involving European leaders, the United States, and Russia, saying he had conveyed readiness for talks during the gathering. “We gave message that we are ready to meet with Putin during G7, because Trump is there and Macron is there, so Europeans plus America. This is a good, I think, very good opportunity to meet all together,” he told reporters in English.

The diplomatic overture comes as Ukraine continues to experience intensified military pressure, with at least 10 people reported killed in overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Zelenskiy made his remarks while speaking from a historic monastery in Kyiv that had been damaged in the attacks.

He accused Russia of showing no willingness to engage diplomatically, stating that prior coordination among Western partners had not been matched by any readiness from Moscow. “Europe and the United States were agreed and Russia demonstrated again that… they are not ready to speak,” he said.

Zelenskiy also said he raised the idea of a potential US-based meeting during his Sunday phone call with Trump, suggesting that Washington could provide a more compelling venue for negotiations involving the Russian president.

Efforts to secure dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow have previously been rejected by the Kremlin, with Putin publicly dismissing the need for such talks and rejecting Ukrainian arguments that the conflict is placing pressure on Russia’s economy.

Against this backdrop, Zelenskiy said Ukraine would prioritise discussions on strengthening air defence capabilities during the G7 meetings, as the country continues to face missile and drone attacks. He is expected to meet both European leaders and US officials to press for additional support.

He also linked recent Russian strikes to the broader diplomatic context, saying they followed closely after his conversation with Trump and describing them as “cynical.”