G7 Summit: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia rejected meeting with him

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he had proposed a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France this week but that the Kremlin had rejected the idea.

“Before the start of the G7 summit, we made it clear that we were prepared to meet with Putin during the G7 summit, as (US President Donald) Trump and (French President Emmanuel) Macron would be present there,” Mr Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv.

He made the remarks while inspecting damage to the main cathedral of the Pechersk Lavra monastery complex following a major Russian air attack.

The damage to the Kyiv monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1051, drew international condemnation.

France’s foreign minister said the attack was akin to bombing Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

“The Europeans plus America - that is a very good opportunity to meet together, and that is precisely why we could invite Russia,” the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted Mr Zelensky as saying.

According to Mr Zelensky, both the United States and European members of the Group of Seven major democracies had agreed to the proposal but Russia had “once again shown that it is not prepared to discuss this”.

There was no immediate confirmation from G7 countries that such an initiative had been made.

The remarks appeared aimed at increasing pressure on the Kremlin.

A meeting between Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin would have been difficult to arrange at short notice.

Russia on Monday denied striking the Kyiv monastery, calling the allegations “a crude fake” and said instead it had been damaged by a US-made Patriot air defence missile which Ukraine uses to protect its cities.

However, Ukraine’s SBU security service said it had recovered fragments of a Geran-2 drone, a Russian kamikaze drone, at the attack site and posted images of the debris, including a wing segment and a motor.

Reuters could not verify the information independently.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he had “good conversations” with Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky on Sunday and both leaders seemed open to doing something about the war in Ukraine.

In comments to the press alongside Mr Macron, Mr Trump indicated he would now turn his attention to trying to secure peace between Ukraine and Russia after an Iran deal was secured.

“We had a very good conversation yesterday with President Zelensky and President Putin, and I think maybe we can do something there. I really do. I think they’re both open to it,” he said.

Mr Trump is due to attend a working session with Mr Zelensky at the G7 summit.

The Group of Seven - the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - is meeting from Monday in the French resort town of Évian on Lake Geneva.

with Reuters