Ukraine is seeking a second summit before the U.S. elections in November in helping to reach a peaceful settlement in its war with Russia, this time with representatives from Moscow attending, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Speaking at the Reagan Institute in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the U.S. to help organize the second summit to make it "more powerful and truly decisive."
The first summit took place in Switzerland last month and included representatives from more than 90 countries, but Russia wasn't invited, Bloomberg reported. Several nations sent lower-level delegations, and Ukraine's bid to win over key nations from the Global South faltered as some declined to sign on to a final statement.
Many of those nations, as well as China, which did not attend the summit, have long argued that Russia should be part of the talks, Bloomberg reported. China has put forward its own proposals with Brazil to end the war.
"Russia is open to dialogue, but it's necessary to understand what it's about," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday, Bloomberg reported, citing Russia's Interfax news service.
There is a sense of urgency on Ukraine's part to organize the summit before the U.S. elections because of the chance Donald Trump returns to the White House, Bloomberg reported. Trump has boasted that should he win in November, he would end the war by the time he's inaugurated in January. He also has argued against the U.S.'s continued military support for Ukraine.
A Ukrainian official confirmed to Bloomberg about the plan to hold a second summit before the U.S. elections. Several officials from western allied nations said any meeting would need to be carefully organized with a clear purpose and expectations managed.
Some U.S. officials are not convinced a summit with Russia and Ukraine would happen, Bloomberg reported. They declined to be named because the talks are private.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.