Zelensky: Putin may come to Kiev

Before that, the Kremlin said it had called Zelensky to Moscow "to talk, not to capitulate."

Volodymyr Zelensky has once again rejected Vladimir Putin's proposal to meet in Moscow, calling the choice of such an unrealistic meeting place a sign that Russia is not genuinely interested in negotiations.The Ukrainian leader said in an interview with US television channel ABC News, "I can't go to the capital of this terrorist" because Ukraine is "under missile attacks, under fire every day.""He [Putin] can come to Kiev," Zelensky said at the same time, which was the first such invitation.Face-to-face talks between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents were, until recently, insisted upon by Donald Trump. Organising such a bilateral or trilateral (with his participation) meeting was one of the main goals of his summit with Putin in Alaska last month.The White House chief later said Putin and Zelensky would meet after the Ukrainian president visits Washington and talks with European leaders, but Moscow has been putting additional conditions on the table, stalling a decision and stepping up shelling of Ukrainian cities.Putin says he is "ready" to meet with Zelensky, but in Moscow. On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that Zelensky had been invited to the Russian capital" to talk, not to capitulate."The day before, speaking in Paris after the summit of the "coalition of the resolute," the Ukrainian president commented on Putin's invitation in the following way:"I believe that if you want the meeting not to take place, you should invite me to Moscow," adding that the fact that the Russian leadership voiced any options for a personal meeting at all is already not bad."Something will happen, but they are not ready yet. [...] We're going to do it," Trump told CBS News the same day, without specifying any timeline for talks that Washington would find acceptable."Russia is trying to turn diplomacy into an outright farce"On Saturday, Vladimir Zelensky wrote on social media that Russia launched more than 1,300 drones, about 900 guided bombs and up to 50 missiles of various types at Ukraine during the first five days of September.He said the strikes hit 14 regions of the country."Russia is seeking to prolong the war, trying to turn diplomacy into a blatant farce. And there should be a common response to this: to shelling and destruction, to ignoring diplomatic efforts and civilised dialogue," the Ukrainian leader said, calling on partners to strengthen sanctions against Moscow, increase arms supplies to Ukraine and impose effective restrictions on Russian oil and gas trade."