Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold a meeting in Moscow. This was reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP) citing its sources.
According to the agency, this proposal was made during a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on August 18. During the conversation, the possibility of a meeting between Putin and Zelensky in Moscow was discussed, which could take place as part of a meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and European leaders at the White House.
AFP sources report that Ukrainian President Zelensky rejected the proposal. He made a clear decision that holding the meeting in Moscow was not feasible.
Additionally, Donald Trump stated that after talks with Zelensky and a call with Putin, preparations for their meeting had begun.
French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that the meeting could take place in Geneva. The Swiss government, a member of the International Criminal Court, officially announced that it was ready to grant Putin immunity during his visit. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis clarified that "under certain conditions" Putin would be allowed to visit Switzerland. He explained that last year the Swiss government set rules for granting immunity to individuals under an international arrest warrant.
Other possible locations for the meeting, according to Western publications, include Rome and Budapest.
The Russian side has not officially confirmed that Putin agreed to meet with the Ukrainian president. President's assistant Yuri Ushakov only mentioned that during the talks between Putin and Trump, the idea of enhancing the level of bilateral negotiations between Russia and Ukraine was discussed.
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