Zelenskyy: Neither US nor Russia has confirmed possible meeting with Putin in Miami

What Happened

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, as reported by European Pravda, that an idea has been floated for the leaders of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia to meet in Miami during the December G20 summit, but that neither the United States nor Russia has confirmed such a meeting. Zelenskyy said the US is working to make a trilateral meeting possible and cited possible venues including a Middle Eastern country, with the US 'always' mentioning the Emirates or Saudi Arabia, the United States during the G20, or a European country. He added that European countries are 'starting to make contact about this' and that he expects a result 'a tad later.' US President Donald Trump does not yet know whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin will attend the G20 summit in Miami at the US invitation, according to the article. In September, the Kremlin stated that a meeting with Zelenskyy in Miami is impossible and that Putin is willing to meet with the Ukrainian leader only in Moscow.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

Zelenskyy's comments reveal an active US diplomatic effort to bring the Ukrainian and Russian leaders together, with multiple venue options under discussion ahead of the December G20 summit in Miami. A trilateral meeting would mark a major direct contact moment in the war, but the lack of confirmation and the Kremlin's prior insistence on Moscow as the only acceptable venue for Putin-Zelenskyy talks highlight the diplomatic obstacles. The proposed venues—Middle Eastern states, Europe, or the US—also signal which mediators may host future negotiations.

Watch For

Monitor whether the US formally confirms a trilateral meeting and whether Putin accepts the invitation to the G20 summit in Miami in December. Watch for Zelenskyy's promised 'result' from European contacts, and for any Russian response revising the Kremlin's September position that Putin would meet Zelenskyy only in Moscow. Official statements from Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of and during the G20 are the key next indicators.