Zelenskyy: War could be prolonged if Putin refuses meeting

The war in Ukraine could drag on if Russia does not agree in the near future to negotiations in the format of a trilateral meeting, and developments will largely depend on the position of the United States and the degree of European involvement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"We spoke with President Trump, and I said that we need a trilateral meeting at the level of leaders with Putin. And if Putin does not support this, we will have, for example, a long war. Therefore, President Trump told me that we must work on this," he said in an interview with Sky News.

According to Zelenskyy, if Putin is ready for a trilateral meeting, there would be a chance within six months to meet and try to end the war.

The president noted that Putin’s refusal to negotiate would lead to a "long war." The situation could become more complicated closer to the U.S. elections, when the American team focuses on domestic issues.

If U.S. involvement decreases, Europe could attempt to assume a leadership role in the negotiation process, although it is not yet fully engaged. If these efforts also fail to produce results, the war will last longer.

At the same time, Zelenskyy rejected the possibility of a visit to Moscow, calling such proposals from the Russian side "a game." He stressed that he is ready for dialogue on neutral territory, but ruled out Russia and Belarus.

"I am ready to meet and ready to talk, but on neutral territory. Or even not neutral, but not Russian and not Belarusian, because they are allies in this trouble," the president said.