Zelensky says ready to join Putin, Trump at Budapest summit if invited

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said helium would beryllium acceptable to articulation Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump astatine their acme successful Hungary if helium is invited.

Trump and Putin said they would conscionable successful the Hungarian capital, perchance successful a substance of weeks, arsenic the US person continues to effort to broker a bid woody to extremity the three-and-a-half-year war, triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion.

“If I americium invited to Budapest — if it is an invitation successful a format wherever we conscionable arsenic 3 or, arsenic it’s called, shuttle diplomacy, President Trump meets with Putin and President Trump meets with maine — past successful 1 format oregon another, we volition agree,” Zelensky told reporters successful remarks released connected Monday.

The Ukrainian president criticised the prime of Hungary, which has a terse narration with Kyiv and is seen arsenic the astir Kremlin-sympathetic subordinate of the European Union.

“I bash not judge that a premier curate who blocks Ukraine everyplace tin bash thing affirmative for Ukrainians oregon adjacent supply a balanced contribution,” Zelensky said, referring to Hungarian person Viktor Orban.

Kyiv has said it is acceptable to articulation a three-way gathering betwixt Zelensky, Putin and Trump successful a fig of neutral countries, including Turkey, Switzerland and the Vatican.

in 1994, Moscow signed a memorandum successful Budapest aimed astatine ensuring information for Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan successful speech for them giving up galore atomic weapons near from the Soviet era.

“Another ‘Budapest’ script wouldn’t beryllium affirmative either,” Zelensky said.

Trump has been aiming for a speedy extremity to the years-long struggle successful Ukraine since helium returned to White House earlier this year, pushing for a bid of nonstop talks betwixt Ukrainian and Russian officials and hosting Putin for a acme successful Alaska — diplomatic efforts that person yet not pb to immoderate breakthrough.

The station Zelensky says acceptable to articulation Putin, Trump astatine Budapest acme if invited appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.