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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated that he is ready to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war.

Getting into it: During an appearance on CNN, Zelensky stressed that any such meeting must result in a concrete outcome (specifically, a ceasefire). He made clear that he is willing to discuss disputed territories and broader historical issues directly with Putin, but not through intermediaries, insisting that talks must be direct, with Western support. While Zelensky has ruled out any immediate territorial concessions, his administration has signaled a willingness to freeze the current frontlines if Ukraine is granted strong, enforceable security guarantees by the United States and Europe. Zelensky also dismissed Putin’s offer to host talks in Russia, citing security concerns and indicating that such a meeting could only take place in a neutral location.

Putin, on the other hand, has not demonstrated a readiness to engage under Zelensky’s terms. Although US officials claimed that the Russian leader floated the idea of offering NATO-like security guarantees to Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv abandoning its NATO ambitions, the Kremlin quickly walked back that proposal. Russia continues to demand recognition of its control over occupied Ukrainian territories and remains resistant to any framework that would involve foreign troops or enforceable peacekeeping mechanisms on Ukrainian soil.

This comes as Ukraine has escalated its campaign of drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure in a bid to damage the revenue streams that finance the Kremlin’s war effort. In recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have targeted multiple sites, most notably the massive Kirishi oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region (one of the country’s top three facilities by output). Explosions and fires were reported at the site, though the full extent of the damage remains unconfirmed. Other strikes have hit logistical infrastructure across western Russia, including railways used for military resupply, further stretching Russia’s internal resources.

President Donald Trump has also called on NATO allies and EU nations to halt all purchases of Russian oil. Trump has argued that cutting off Russia’s energy revenue is the most effective way to bring Putin to the negotiating table and end the war.