Zelenskyy Issued A Challenge To Putin

Even Antarctica is being considered as a possible venue for the negotiations.

The question of a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin remains a constant item on the agenda. The Ukrainian president has repeatedly stated that he is ready to sit down at the negotiating table anywhere in the world except Moscow. Even Antarctica is being considered as a possible venue for the talks. This was stated on November 9 by Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN Andriy Melnyk during a UN Security Council meeting dedicated to the situation in Ukraine, according to Interfax reports.

The diplomat explained that the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi could become an important stage in the diplomatic peace process; however, a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia is necessary for key political decisions to be made.

“We’ll see what the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi bring tomorrow and on Wednesday. But one thing is clear: without a summit at the highest level, a political breakthrough is nearly impossible. That is precisely why the President of Ukraine is ready to meet with Putin at the earliest opportunity—whether in Florida in December, on the sidelines of the G20, or anywhere else; anywhere, just not in Moscow,” said Andriy Melnyk.

During his address to the UN Security Council, Andriy Melnyk emphasized that “despite Russia’s cynical maneuvers,” Ukraine remains fully committed to the pursuit of peace and therefore continues to seek opportunities to achieve it.

Melnik stated that this requires a summit at the highest level—a direct conversation between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia. And, according to him, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready for such a meeting at the earliest opportunity.

Among the possible options, the diplomat mentioned Florida in December, the G20 summit venue, and any other location outside the Russian capital. At the same time, this was Melnik’s statement regarding the Ukrainian president’s readiness for negotiations, not an announcement of a meeting that has already been agreed upon or the Kremlin’s consent to it. There is no confirmation yet that Moscow has accepted such a proposal.

What three areas of action did the Ukrainian diplomat identify as key to the Kremlin’s strategy?

Andriy Melnik also outlined three areas on which, in his assessment, the Kremlin’s policy toward Ukraine is focused. He is convinced that the problem now is that Putin is clinging quite firmly to the illusion that he can break Ukraine’s will and force Ukrainians to capitulate, even though Russian troops have been losing territory on the battlefield for the second month in a row.

First and foremost, the Kremlin is attempting to intensify attacks on the civilian population and Ukrainian infrastructure. The second strategy involves sabotage and psychological operations aimed at dividing Ukrainian society, undermining domestic trust, and worsening Ukraine’s relations with its European partners.

The diplomat identified a third strategy as using negotiations to buy time. According to him, Moscow is supporting the diplomatic process not to genuinely end the war, but to continue inflicting damage on Ukraine.

Melnik warned that Russia may attempt to negotiate a ceasefire only after it has inflicted maximum damage on Ukrainian infrastructure.

As a reminder, on November 10–11, 2026, trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia on ending the war are scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This is the first meeting in this format since February 2026.

According to the Ukrainian side, the talks will cover the cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure, the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, humanitarian issues, and the exchange of prisoners of war.

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