Zelensky seeks trilateral talks as Kyiv warns against sidelining Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed a trilateral meeting with the US and Russia, while his foreign minister warned that a summit excluding Ukraine would only encourage Russia to continue the war. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said a Russia-China-US meeting would boost Putin's ego and give him undeserved weight, calling him a war criminal, not a global leader. He noted Russia's economy is at least 13 times smaller than America's and that Russia has lost 1.6 million people in the failed war. The Wall Street Journal reported Putin proposed the trilateral summit for next month to negotiate an end to the war on Moscow's terms. Sybiha insisted Putin should only earn a seat at the table through a serious step toward peace, such as agreeing to a ceasefire beforehand.