Ukraine War12 September, 20262 min read
Volodymyr Zelensky Offers to Meet Vladimir Putin at G20 in Miami, Kremlin Calls It Impossible
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Zelensky says ready to meet Putin at the G20 Miami in December. Kremlin: a Miami meeting is impossible; such talks would occur in Moscow.
Zelensky’s Miami offer
Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin during a G20 summit in Miami in December, telling Deutsche Welle: “Yes, of course. We must come. We must meet, talk, and make decisions.”
“Yes, of course. We must come. We must meet, talk, and make decisions.”
Zelensky framed the meeting as conditional on results, adding, “Only the result matters,” while the Kremlin said it has not yet made any decision about Putin’s participation in the G20 in Miami.
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea immediately, saying a meeting would be “impossible,” and insisting it could only take place in Moscow.
Zelensky also linked the diplomatic push to battlefield leverage, saying Ukraine was “much stronger on the battlefield than it was last year.”
Patriot needs and talks
In an interview with DW, Zelensky said Ukraine urgently needs Patriot missiles this winter and described a target of “between 100 and 120” interceptor missiles for the cold months.
He explained his calculation by saying, “Currently, Russia produces 140 ballistic missiles per month,” and argued that under NATO rules destroying them would require 280 missiles.
Zelensky said the visit to Kyiv by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was “a good sign,” and he said it was important they did not limit themselves to Moscow.
He also said Washington’s envoys were part of a broader effort to revive negotiations, while Zelensky told DW that “We love life. We want peace, and that is why we are talking.”
What’s at stake next
Zelensky told DW that possible negotiation starting points include “Energy and grain,” describing them as “the first step” toward some form of talks. He argued Ukraine is in a “good position for negotiations now,” while Zelensky said Russia is suffering casualties and that “Russia loses, you know, more than 30,000 people per month.”
“Energy and grain. That is the first step. What we can achieve.”
At the same time, France 24 reported that Kyiv officials warned intensifying strikes on key sectors, including energy, could see Ukrainian GDP slump by 1.5 points this year and that the coming winter would be “very difficult”. The diplomatic stakes also extend to summit logistics, with the Kremlin telling TASS that “We don’t yet know if we will go to Miami or not,” as Washington seeks to restart long-stalled efforts to end the war.