Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday it is "very important" that the next U.S. mediated Ukraine-Russia talks should take place before this winter.
The location and format of the negotiations will be decided by U.S. President Donald Trump, Zelensky said in an interview on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Summit running from Monday to Wednesday in Evian, France.
Speaking to reporters after attending a G7 Summit working session on the Ukrainian crisis, Trump urged Russia and Ukraine to make peace. "I'm gonna do whatever I can," he said, adding that "Russia should make a deal" to end the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky was also invited to attend the session. He has had talks with Trump on the sidelines of the summit.
Trump said on Monday that he had separately spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky on the previous day, and that both sides are willing to take action to resolve the crisis.
Meanwhile, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said on Tuesday that Putin and Trump did not discuss the possibility of holding talks with Zelensky during their phone call, nor was any such proposal made to the Russian side.
Ushakov said that Russia expects U.S. mediators -- Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner -- to travel to Moscow for talks on the Ukraine issue after the United States and Iran sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Switzerland on Friday.
In response to Zelensky's propose on Monday regarding a meeting with Russian leaders during the G7 Summit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday told the media that Russia had not received an invitation through official channels, while there are currently no formal communication channels between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly said that if Zelensky is willing to engage in talks in a responsible and serious manner, he can come to Moscow, said Peskov.
US mediated talks with Russia need to be organized before winter: Zelensky
