Zelensky ready to talk territorial issues with Putin — Ukrainian deputy foreign minister

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky is prepared to discuss "territorial issues" during a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsia, who was part of the Kiev delegation during Zelensky’s meeting with US President Donald Trump on August 18.

"Zelensky made it very, very clear that he is ready to sit down [at the negotiating table] with President Putin and discuss it [territorial issues]. And the beginning of the conversation on on the territorial issue is the [military] contact line that is currently there," Kislitsia said in an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press program.

Earlier, the BBC broadcasting corporation noted that during the meeting between Trump and Zelensky on August 18 in the Oval Office, there was a map of Ukraine with 20% of its territories shaded in pink. The BBC interpreted this as a visual way for Trump to increase pressure on Zelensky to agree to exchange land for peace.

US President Donald Trump had previously expressed dissatisfaction with Vladimir Zelensky’s statements regarding territorial issues and emphasized that some territorial exchanges would take place.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Friday in an interview with NBC News that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky is not scheduled, and the Russian leader will be prepared for it when there is an appropriate agenda.