Zelenskyy ready to meet Putin at Miami G20; Kremlin refuses — SkimNews
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- Zelenskyy said in a Deutsche Welle interview released Saturday, September 12, 2026, that he was willing to meet Putin at the G20 summit in Miami (December 14-15) for talks on ending the war, answering "Yes, of course" when asked directly.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP in New Delhi the proposed Miami meeting was "impossible," repeating Moscow's standing demand that any face-to-face with Zelenskyy take place in Moscow.
- Trump's special envoy Jared Kushner told a Kyiv security forum Friday via videolink that he hoped to announce the "next steps" of peace talks within "a couple of weeks," after U.S. negotiators Witkoff and Kushner visited both Moscow and Kyiv.
- Zelenskyy said Ukraine is "much stronger than last year on the battlefield" and therefore has "a good position for negotiations," though trust between the sides remains low and several previous rounds of talks have failed.
- Ukrainian officials warned that intensifying Russian strikes on energy and key sectors could push GDP down by 1.5 percentage points this year, with the coming winter expected to be "very difficult."
- Zelenskyy repeated Ukraine's urgent need for more Patriot interceptor missiles, noting U.S. supplies have been reduced after Washington used large numbers during its war with Iran.
Why it matters: The Kremlin's instant rejection underscores how far apart the two sides remain even as Washington actively mediates — Putin won't leave Russian territory for talks, and Zelenskyy wants a neutral international stage. With Kushner promising "next steps" within weeks and Ukraine bracing for a 1.5-point GDP hit from escalating strikes, the diplomatic window is narrowing faster than it is opening.
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