WASHINGTON — Two more countries are willing to host talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the latter’s top advisor Andriy Yermak told The Post on Wednesday — all while Moscow has repeatedly backpedaled on its intentions to hold the Trump-suggested meeting this week.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia joined a host of European nations, including Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Turkey, that would hold bilateral talks between the leaders following meetings Tuesday and Wednesday with Yermak.
“President Zelensky said a lot of times, I’m ready to talk about everything, but in the equal negotiations, in the normal place,” Yermark said. “We have the lot of place which [are] ready to host: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Italy, Vatican, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey.”
“Look, it’s just necessary to decide it and demonstrate political will.”
Yermak is scheduled to arrive in New York Thursday for the opening of Ukrainian cell service company Kyiv Star’s introduction to the NASDAQ and a brief meeting with Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been handling the Russian side of US negotiations to end the Ukraine War.
”I’m planning to have a short meeting with just to update and to say that, ‘Look, Putin committed to your president that he is ready to meet. But of course, [there hasn’t been] any signal that he is ready to meet [since,]’” Yermak said. “And every day, [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov and others make statements that are controversial.”
Kyiv was been busy working with world leaders to try to secure Kremlin agreements for a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, as well as a formulation of “NATO-like” security guarantees for Ukraine post-war — as Moscow has walked back its promises.
Lavrov indicated on Aug. 19 that the Kremlin was open to a “1+1” or “1+2” meeting involving Putin, Zelensky and potentially Trump.
“We do not reject any forms of work, neither bilateral nor trilateral,” Russia’s top diplomat told Moscow-owned broadcaster VGTRK.
Days later, in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Lavrov questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy as Ukraine’s leader, describing the president as “the de-facto head of the regime” and signaling that Moscow wouldn’t recognize peace documents signed by the Ukrainian president.
Lavrov has also claimed that Putin only agreed to thinking about “raising the level of heads of delegations” from previous talks in Istanbul — if certain requirements are met.
Meanwhile, in major concession from Moscow, Putin agreed to have the US and Europe provide Ukraine with NATO-style security guarantees as part of a deal to end the war, according to Witkoff.
However, a Kremlin spokesman on Wednesday said Russia would never accept the idea of NATO troops in Ukraine.
“We view it negatively,” Dmitry Peskov said of the idea of placing European troops in Ukraine.
“There are no European servicemen; there are servicemen from specific countries, most of which are NATO members. The expansion of NATO military infrastructure and its infiltration into Ukraine has become one of the root causes of the current conflict. That’s why we view such discussions negatively,” he added, according to state-run outlet Tass.
As the Kremlin repeatedly backpedals on promises made to the US during the Alaska summit, Zelensky’s top advisor says Russia needs to “feel pressure” before it will move forward with what they told Trump they were ready to do.
“We are listening to the American officials, doing our to support,” Yermak said. “We had great meetings in the White House, both and bilateral and the European leaders and but you know, again, it’s necessary to to continue our job, and we are working with the partners for security guarantees.”
”But I’m not sure that [without] this additional pressing, Russia will change, right?”
He added: “The people ask, what the next step? Because unfortunately, the war is not finished … I hope that President Trump will continue to his position, because he’s still one leader in the world to whom Putin afraid.”
The US is reportedly prepared to provide “intelligence assets” and “battlefield oversight” for any post-war security plan agreed to by Putin and Zelensky.
European and Ukrainian officials told the Financial Times that the US would also take part in a European-led air defense shield that would be established over Ukraine.
European officials have privately acknowledged that European troop deployments would only be possible if the US agrees to oversee the peacekeeping mission and protect the boots on the ground, according to the outlet.
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