Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated he would be ready to join Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at a proposed summit in Hungary if invited.
The US and Russian presidents announced on Thursday their plans to hold talks on the war in Ukraine in Budapest, possibly occurring in the coming weeks.
In comments released on Monday, Zelensky told reporters: If it is an invitation in a format where we meet as three or, as it's called, shuttle diplomacy… then in one format or another, we will agree.
Meanwhile, reports indicated that his meeting with Trump on Friday became a shouting match, with U.S. officials urging Ukraine to consider Russia's terms for ending the conflict.
Zelensky appeared cautious in his first press briefing since the encounter, expressing that his goal was a just peace rather than a swift resolution. He criticized Hungary as a location for the Trump-Putin talks, stating Prime Minister Viktor Orban could not offer a balanced contribution to the discussions.
When asked if Zelensky would be part of the Budapest meeting, Trump commented that he aimed to make the discussions comfortable for all three leaders. We'll be involved in threes, but it may be separated, he remarked, emphasizing the importance of the leaders coming together.
During the talks, Zelensky hoped to secure U.S. Tomahawk missiles to target deep into Russia but reportedly left without a firm commitment on the matter as Trump was non-committal.
Recent accounts suggest the atmosphere during Zelensky's meeting with Trump was notably tense, with Trump allegedly warning that failure to acquiesce to Putin's demands could result in the destruction of Ukraine.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and ongoing discussions reflect the complexities of international diplomacy amidst the conflict.
