Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg today in Kyiv to prepare for the upcoming meeting between Ukrainian and American negotiators at the weekend to discuss potential talks with the Russians. Zelensky confirmed he will discuss with Kellogg the possibility of holding a meeting with the Russian side aimed at ending the war Moscow is waging against his country before the larger meeting, according to Interfax Ukraine news agency. Amid strong pressure from US President Donald Trump to reach a peace agreement between the two countries, Zelensky has frequently called for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following Zelensky’s meeting with Trump at the White House last Monday, Putin stated that Moscow is ready to elevate bilateral contacts in negotiations with Ukraine to a higher level, such as foreign ministers.

However, after a phone call with Putin, Trump assumed that Putin would meet Zelensky personally. Yet, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told NBC on Friday that Moscow sees no basis for a direct meeting with Zelensky because the two sides are too far apart in their demands.