Zelensky Ready to Discuss Territory With Putin, Sybiha Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss territorial issues as part of efforts to end the war, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.Speaking to Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat in an interview published after his two-day visit to Finland, Sybiha said Kyiv had coordinated the decision to hold a call between Putin, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The Nordic leaders conveyed two main messages, he said: Ukraine’s demand for a ceasefire and its proposal for a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin.“We want this meeting, and we are ready for it,” Sybiha said. “Probably only a meeting between Zelensky and Putin can bring a new quality to the negotiations. Zelensky is ready to discuss the most difficult and sensitive issues, including the territorial question.”Sybiha said direct talks could lead to confidence-building measures, including prisoner exchanges and the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.The venue was not important to Kyiv, provided it was neither Moscow nor Belarus, Sybiha said, joking that North Korea could also be ruled out. He dismissed Russia’s invitation for Zelensky to visit Moscow as “not serious.”Kyiv sees Nordic call as diplomatic opening“Our assessment is that the call was a step forward in our peace efforts,” Sybiha said, adding that he hoped the channel of communication with Putin would remain open. Other Topics of Interest 80% of Ukrainians Back Refinery Strikes Despite Risks of US Aid Cut Only 11% support halting strikes on Russian oil refineries in a scenario involving US aid cuts and no reciprocal commitments from Moscow. The roughly 90-minute conversation also confirmed that trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, the US and Russia were expected to continue in Abu Dhabi in November, he said.“Those talks will show whether Russia has serious intentions to end the war through diplomatic means,” Sybiha said, adding that Kyiv currently saw no signs of such intentions.Asked whether Putin had made any important statements during the conversation, he replied: “At least it [the call] happened.”The call drew criticism from some European officials. Stubb and Støre said they had acted in their national capacities, rather than on behalf of Europe.Sybiha said the initiative reflected a shared decision with Kyiv to use every available diplomatic channel. He also urged Europe to establish a stronger role in negotiations and speak with one voice.Stubb’s close relations with both US President Donald Trump and Zelensky already gave him an important role, Sybiha said. The Finnish president had now also heard Putin’s position directly.Asked whether Stubb could represent Europe in the peace process, Sybiha said EU leaders would have to decide, adding: “Why not?”Europe should reinforce US peace efforts, Sybiha saysSybiha said greater European involvement was particularly important because he believed the Trump administration had moved further toward accommodating Russia’s demands.He cited what he described as US pressure for a change in Ukraine’s leadership, sanctions relief and renewed US purchases of Russian diesel.Despite those concerns, Sybiha said Ukraine had no alternative to keeping Washington involved.“It is not realistic to end the war without them, or to obtain real security guarantees for the future without them,” he said.Europe’s role should complement, rather than replace, US-led diplomacy, he added.Sybiha said intensified Russian attacks were another reason Kyiv had sought additional diplomatic channels through Finland and Norway. Russia had launched 100 ballistic missiles at Ukraine over two weeks, he said.He said he was returning from Finland more hopeful, praising the country’s support for Ukraine.“We have hope that things will move forward after that call,” he said.Moscow continues to insist on talks in RussiaTrump said on Oct. 28 that he hoped to hold a summit with Putin and Zelensky “very soon.”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out a meeting but said the timing was flexible and that talks would require “extensive, meticulous preparation.”Zelensky had proposed meeting Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the US in December. Peskov called that option “impossible,” saying Zelensky could accept Putin’s invitation to Moscow if he “truly desires” direct talks.In early June, Zelensky proposed a summit in a neutral country in a rare open letter to Putin. He said the meeting should be backed by broader European and US security guarantees. The Kremlin dismissed the proposal and reiterated its invitation to Moscow.Putin first issued that invitation in September 2025 while questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy and the value of a meeting. Zelensky rejected it and proposed Kyiv instead.Putin did not respond to that proposal and has continued to insist that Moscow is the “best place” for talks, claiming Zelensky’s safety would be guaranteed. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.