Putin demands security guarantees as Zelensky signals readiness for G20 talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded security guarantees and reiterated claims over Donbas as a condition for peace talks, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready for negotiations at the upcoming G20 summit in the United States but has not yet received an invitation. Putin stated on Thursday, following a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff, that Russia is prepared to return to negotiations in November with American mediation, seeking a permanent settlement rather than a temporary ceasefire. He insisted that talks should address the "architecture of European security" as a whole, a position he said Witkoff supported. Zelensky, who met Witkoff in Norway on Tuesday, expressed openness to discussing a ceasefire, energy truce, and humanitarian initiatives, suggesting a possible meeting in Florida during the G20 with President Trump's mediation. He also raised concerns about unresolved Starlink satellite internet service issues affecting Ukraine's communications.