Ukrainian President Zelenskyy invites Putin to Kyiv for talks

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kyiv for talks, “if he dares”, as the United States continues to press the warring sides into negotiations on ending the war.

He told reporters on Friday that he was ready for any format for the meeting, but would not go to Moscow or Belarus, following an invitation from the Kremlin.

Zelenskyy said it was “impossible” for him to meet Putin in Moscow, news agency RBC-Ukraine reports. “It’s the same as meeting with Putin in Kyiv. I can also invite him to Kyiv, let him come. I publicly invite him, if he dares, of course.”

He added that Russia was an aggressor waging war against Ukraine, and Belarus was a “partner in these actions”.

The Kremlin on Thursday said Russia had again invited the Ukrainian leader to Moscow for talks but had not received a response.

Trilateral talks

US-mediated negotiations between the two countries took place in Abu Dhabi last week and a second round is scheduled for Sunday. However, the Reuters news agency reports that Zelenskyy said the date and location could change, due to the “situation between the United States and Iran”.

He noted that it was “very important for us that everyone we agreed with be present at the meeting”.

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Putin had agreed to his request not to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for a week amid extreme cold weather, which he said was “very nice”.

The Kremlin confirmed on Friday that Putin had received the request, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov telling Sky News the Russian leader had “of course” agreed to the proposal.

Zelenskyy wrote on X that the issue of a ceasefire on energy infrastructure attacks had been discussed during the talks, and that he expected the agreements to be implemented. “De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war,” he added.

On Friday, the Ukrainian leader confirmed in his nightly address that neither Moscow nor Kyiv had conducted strikes ⁠on energy targets from Thursday night onwards.

However, he added that Russia was engaged in a “reorientation” of its military activity by attacking logistics targets, like rail junctions.

Ukrainian ‍Prime ‍Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on X on Friday evening that Russian ⁠forces had launched ​seven attacks on ‍Ukrainian rail infrastructure over the previous ‍24 hours.

“Russia ⁠is deliberately striking Ukraine’s logistics routes. This is intentional terror aimed at ​people ‌and civilian transport,” she wrote.

Before the next round of US-mediated talks, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that he believes “we are getting close” to a deal to end the war.

However, several sticking points remain, including Russia’s demand for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from about one-fifth of the Donetsk region, and the potential deployment of international peacekeepers in Ukraine after the war.

On Friday, Ukrainian military administration head Oleg Synegubov ordered the evacuation of families with children from seven villages in the northeastern Kharkiv region, as the invading Russian army advanced close to the area, according to news agency AFP.