Zelenskiy says he wants 'strong' US reaction if Putin not ready to meet

FILE PHOTO: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks to Ukrainian Muslim service members before sharing an iftar with them, a meal to break their fast at sunset, during the holy month of Ramadan, in a mosque in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2025. REUTERS/Alina Smutko/File Photo

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would like a "strong reaction" from the U.S. if Russian President Vladimir Putin was not willing to sit down for a bilateral meeting with him.

Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday, Zelenskiy added that it was unclear what concessions regarding territory Moscow was willing to make, and that Budapest as a proposed location for future talks between the two countries was "challenging".