Overview
- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky sent a public letter proposing a face‑to‑face meeting and offering a total ceasefire during talks, and he suggested neutral hosts such as Switzerland, Turkey or Arab states.
- Russian leaders rejected the timing of the proposal, with Vladimir Putin saying a meeting makes no sense without prior agreements and the Kremlin spokesman adding Zelensky could travel to Moscow to talk if he chose to do so.
- President Donald Trump publicly welcomed the idea and said a meeting would be welcome, even as U.S. diplomacy continues to mediate separate talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington.
- U.S. talks with Iran remain stalled over Tehran’s demand for release of $24 billion in frozen assets as a confidence measure, and Iranian officials warned they could widen operations if funds are not freed.
- Reports show the ceasefire environment is fragile: intermittent strikes in the Gulf have raised regional risk, and the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump privately told advisers he would end the pause if U.S. troops were killed.