Ukraine and Russia held U.S.-brokered discussions in Abu Dhabi last week and are scheduled to hold another meeting on Sunday.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kyiv for talks “if he dares”.

He told reporters on Friday that he was ready to attend any kind of meeting but would not travel to Moscow or Belarus at the Kremlin’s invitation.

Zelensky said it was “impossible” for him to meet Putin in Moscow, RBC Ukraine news agency reported. “It would be like meeting Putin in Kiev. I can also invite him to Kiev and let him come. Of course, if he dares, I will invite him openly.”

He added that Russia was the aggressor waging war against Ukraine, while Belarus was “a partner in these operations.”

Russia has again invited Ukraine’s leader to Moscow for peace talks but has not yet received a response, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

negotiation

The two countries held talks in Abu Dhabi last week, with a second round of U.S.-brokered talks scheduled to take place on Sunday. However, Reuters reported that Zelensky said the date and location could change due to “the situation between the United States and Iran.”

“It’s very important to us that everyone we agree with is present at the meeting,” he noted.

U.S. 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 good.”

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

Zelenskiy Wrote X said ceasefires against attacks on energy infrastructure were discussed during the talks and he expected those agreements to be implemented. “Steps to de-escalate the situation can help make real progress towards ending the war,” he added.

However, a number of sticking points remain, including Russia’s demand that Ukrainian troops withdraw from about a fifth of the Donetsk region and the possible deployment of international peacekeepers to Ukraine after the war.