Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a face-to-face meeting, saying he sees "no point" in it. Speaking Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin described Zelenskyy's open letter proposing the meeting as "boorish." It was the first public message Zelenskyy has sent directly to Putin since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and was a critique of the Russian leader's 26 years in power as well as taunting him about his age. The 73-year-old Putin pointed at other global leaders who are older, adding that "the main thing is the ability to work." In an earlier speech, Putin criticized the West's unilateral sanctions.
By AAMER MADHANI and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press
President Donald Trump has signaled to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he's leaning against selling long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv. Zelenskyy at the start of Friday's White House talks said he had a "proposition" in which Ukraine could provide the United States with its advanced drones, while Washington would sell Kyiv the Tomahawks, which Ukrainian officials say they desperately need to motivate Russian President Vladmir Putin to get serious about peace talks. But Trump said he had "an obligation also to make sure that" the United States is "completely stocked up." The U.S. leader added he was optimistic the war would soon end, mitigating Ukraine's need for the powerful weapon.
By BARRY HATTON and KATIE MARIE DAVIES Associated Press
The second Oval Office meeting in six months between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went off smoothly, in sharp contrast to their disastrous encounter in February. European leaders joined the discussions in a show of transatlantic unity and both they and Zelenskyy repeatedly thanked Trump for his efforts to end Russia's three-year war on Ukraine. But despite the guarded optimism and friendly banter among the leaders, there was little concrete progress on the main obstacles to ending the war. That deadlock likely favors Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces continue to make steady, if slow progress on the ground in Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump expressed hopes that talks with Ukrainian and European leaders at the White House could lead to trilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to Russia's war on Ukraine. Monday's hastily assembled meeting comes after Trump met on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has said that the onus is now on Zelenskyy to agree to concessions that he said could end the war. Trump said he would back European security guarantees for Ukraine, though he stopped short of committing U.S. troops to the effort.
