Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a trilateral meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue peace talks on the war in Ukraine.

“We are ready for a Trump-Putin-me format,” the Ukrainian president said.

“If Putin does not feel comfortable with a bilateral meeting or if everyone wants a trilateral meeting, that does not bother me. I am ready for any format,” added Volodymyr Zelensky, who is expected in Berlin later today.

The Ukrainian president called on Washington to impose new sanctions against Russia, which has so far rejected the idea of a 30-day general and unconditional ceasefire with Ukraine proposed by the US and supported by Kiev.

“We are expecting sanctions from the US,” especially against the Russian energy sector and banking system, Zelensky said.

He specified that Kiev had not yet received from Moscow the “memorandum” mentioned by Russia last week, which is supposed to set out Russia's conditions for a lasting peace agreement after three years of Russian invasion in Ukraine.

“We will read their proposals and will certainly respond to them” once we receive them, Zelensky said.

Earlier, Russian diplomats said they would hand over the document to Kiev after the large-scale prisoner exchange last weekend was completed.

President Zelensky also warned that Moscow was gathering more than 50,000 troops near the Ukrainian region of Sumy with a view to a possible offensive against this border territory, where Moscow says it wants to create a “buffer zone” to prevent incursions from Kyiv.

“They are currently amassing troops in the direction of Sumy. Over 50,000,” he said.

Russia wants “to push our troops out of (its) Kursk region,” located across the border, “and prepare an offensive against Sumy,” Zelensky emphasized. | BGNES