Ukraine's Zelensky to Join G7 Leaders Video Summit Wednesday

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (AP)
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (AP)
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Ukraine's Zelensky to Join G7 Leaders Video Summit Wednesday

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (AP)
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join a video summit later Wednesday with the leaders of the G7, chair Japan said.

"Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will host the G7 TV summit. In the meeting, in addition to the G7 leaders, Ukraine’s President Zelensky will join the first part,” government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

Zelensky unexpectedly cancelled on Tuesday a planned videolink appearance that he was scheduled to deliver during a US Senate hearing, where tough negotiations are underway over a new aid package for Ukraine that Kiev is relying heavily on to counter the Russian invasion.

Matsuno said that Kishida and the other leaders from the grouping of advanced economies will “discuss important issues for the international community such as the Ukraine situation, the Middle East situation and AI.”



Kremlin Says Putin Sent Trump a Message on Ukraine Ceasefire Idea, Talks of 'Cautious Optimism'

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint news conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following their talks at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint news conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following their talks at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
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Kremlin Says Putin Sent Trump a Message on Ukraine Ceasefire Idea, Talks of 'Cautious Optimism'

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint news conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following their talks at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint news conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following their talks at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

The Kremlin said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had sent US President Donald Trump a message about his proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine via Trump's special envoy and that there were grounds for "cautious optimism."
Putin held late night talks in Moscow with Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy, to discuss the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Kyiv has already accepted the idea.
Peskov said Putin had conveyed "signals" to Trump via Witkoff, and had received information from the American about US thinking on Ukraine.
"There are certainly reasons to be cautiously optimistic. You heard a very important statement yesterday from President Putin, who was answering a journalist's question. He said that he supports President Trump's position in terms of a settlement, but he voiced some questions that need to be answered together," said Peskov.
"So, yes, indeed, there is still a lot to be done, but nevertheless, the president expressed solidarity with Mr. Trump's position."
Peskov said Russia and the US would work out the timing of a phone call between their two presidents once Witkoff had briefed Trump.