Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Miami if both leaders attend the December gathering.
Zelensky made the comments in an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle released Saturday. Asked whether he would travel to Miami and meet Putin if both were invited, Zelensky gave a clear answer.
“Yes, of course,” he said.
He added that the two leaders need to meet, talk and make decisions. For Zelensky, however, the outcome would matter more than the words exchanged during such a meeting.
Zelensky focuses on results
Zelensky said a direct meeting should produce concrete results rather than become another round of political statements.
He said the important issue would not be what he tells Putin or what Putin tells him. Instead, he stressed that only the result of the meeting would matter.
The comments come as Washington pushes for renewed diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner recently visited both Moscow and Kyiv. Zelensky described their visit to Ukraine as a positive signal.
He also said the fact that the American officials visited Kyiv as well as Moscow showed respect for Ukraine and its people.
US pushes for renewed diplomacy
The latest diplomatic activity comes after a period of stalled efforts to reach a settlement.
US President Donald Trump and Putin also spoke by phone last week. The Kremlin described their conversation as extremely frank and constructive.
At the same time, Zelensky has continued to call for negotiations that can lead to a meaningful end to the war.
The Ukrainian president has previously stressed that talks must lead to practical outcomes. His latest comments about Miami appear to follow the same approach.
Putin’s G20 attendance remains uncertain
The G20 leaders’ summit is scheduled to take place in Miami in December.
However, Putin has not confirmed that he will attend.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday that Moscow has not yet decided whether Putin will travel to Miami. Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov also said the possibility of Putin attending had not been discussed.
That means a Zelensky-Putin meeting remains only a possibility for now.
Still, Zelensky’s willingness to attend could create an opportunity for direct contact if Putin eventually decides to participate.
Russia remains involved in G20 meetings
Russia continues to participate in G20-related meetings despite the war in Ukraine.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended a G20 meeting in North Carolina earlier this month. His presence reportedly caused discomfort among some European allies of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian officials are also expected to participate in a G20 energy meeting in Houston next week.
For now, the Miami summit remains months away. However, Zelensky’s comments show that Kyiv is prepared to use the gathering as a possible venue for direct talks if Putin also attends.
The key question will be whether the Russian leader decides to appear — and whether diplomatic efforts can produce the concrete results Zelensky says he wants.
