Trump told Zelensky to meet with Putin in Moscow – Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump reportedly urged Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky to travel to Moscow for peace talks with President Vladimir Putin, Bloomberg reports, citing sources close to Zelensky. Russia has said Zelensky can visit Moscow any time.
The US president made the suggestion during a meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week, the outlet reported. The Ukrainian leader rejected the idea, people familiar with the conversation told Bloomberg, adding that Trump’s proposal “upset him.”
Zelensky was visibly irritated by journalists outside UN headquarters on Wednesday. Pressed about when he might visit Moscow, he replied: “On a f**king missile!”
Zelensky DOES answer reporters asking when he’ll be heading to Moscow for talks
— RTRussia (@RT_Russia_) September 23, 2026
He COMPLETELY loses his temper as he walks away:
'On a f*cking missile' https://t.co/poqL8qA9Ffpic.twitter.com/f01pupjrnG
Earlier this week, Ukraine and 51 of its backers released a statement demanding that Russia accept an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” so peace talks can begin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow will not halt its military operation, accusing Ukraine’s European sponsors of seeking a pause only “to pump the Kiev regime with weapons.”
Trump recently renewed efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow and Kiev earlier this month. Witkoff said afterward that he felt good about the discussions and that the Trump administration hopes diplomacy can bring an end to the conflict.
Moscow has said it is ready to settle the Ukraine conflict as long as the root causes are addressed and the realities on the ground are taken into account.
Russia’s demands include Ukraine abandoning its plans to join NATO and adopting a neutral status, accepting restrictions on its military, and formally recognizing Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions as Russian territory. Crimea voted to join Russia shortly after the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev. The regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson held referendums in September 2022.
Kiev has consistently rejected Moscow’s conditions, insisting on joining NATO and restoring control over all territories that it claims. Zelensky has said, however, that he wants to meet with Putin in person to settle the conflict, even though he legally barred himself from talks with the Russian leader.
Moscow has cited Kiev’s aggressive posture and the hostile position of its European backers as major obstacles to a peace settlement. The Kremlin has nevertheless maintained that it is ready to welcome Zelensky to Moscow if he truly wishes to reach a deal, even though Russia considers him illegitimate, as his presidential term expired more than two years ago and he has not called a new election.
On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is ready to provide security guarantees to Zelensky if he travels to Moscow.
