"Russia must take real steps to end its aggression": Zelensky calls for direct talks with Putin

Kyiv [Ukraine], August 7 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to help end the ongoing war, following recent talks in Moscow between US President Donald Trump's envoy and the Russian leader, France 24 reported.

According to France 24, Zelensky made the statement on Thursday after speaking to Trump by phone. The Ukrainian leader said that Trump told him a meeting with Putin could happen "very soon" and that European leaders were also present on the call.

"We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders," Zelensky wrote on social media. It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed," he added.

Zelensky said he had also scheduled several talks throughout the day, including with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as well as French and Italian officials. "There will also be communication at the level of national security advisors," he said.

"The main thing is for Russia, which started this war, to take real steps to end its aggression," Zelensky added, according to France 24.

United States special envoy Steve Witkoff held "useful and constructive" talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or face economic penalties, Al Jazeera reported.

Witkoff met Putin for about three hours on Wednesday in an effort to break the deadlock in the more than three-year war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides had exchanged "signals" on the Ukraine issue and discussed the possibility of developing strategic cooperation between Moscow and Washington, but declined to give further details until Witkoff had reported back to US President Donald Trump.

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