Ukrainian President Zelenskyy invites Putin to Kyiv for talks 

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kyiv for talks, “if he dares”.

He told reporters on Friday that he was ready for any format for the meeting, but would not go to Moscow or Belarus, following an invitation from the Kremlin.

Zelenskyy said it was “impossible” for him to meet Putin in Moscow, news agency RBC-Ukraine reports. “It’s the same as meeting with Putin in Kyiv. I can also invite him to Kyiv, let him come. I publicly invite him, if he dares, of course.”

He added that Russia was an aggressor waging war against Ukraine, and Belarus was a “partner in these actions”.

The Kremlin on Thursday said Russia had again invited the Ukrainian leader to Moscow for peace talks but had not received a response.

Talks between the two countries took place in Abu Dhabi last week, and a second round of the US-mediated negotiations is scheduled for Sunday. However, Reuters news agency reports that Zelenskyy said the date and location could change, due to the “situation between the United States and Iran”.

He noted that it was “very important for us that everyone we agreed with be present at the meeting”.

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Putin had agreed to his request not to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for a week amid extreme cold weather, which he said was “very nice”.

The Kremlin confirmed on Friday that Putin had received the request, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov telling Sky News the Russian leader had “of course” agreed to the proposal.

Zelenskyy wrote on X that the issue of a ceasefire on energy infrastructure attacks had been discussed during the talks, and that he expected the agreements to be implemented. “De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war,” he added.

However, several sticking points remain, including Russia’s demand for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from about one-fifth of the Donetsk region, and the potential deployment of international peacekeepers in Ukraine after the war.