KYIV, Ukraine, Aug 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr 
Zelensky said he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but only 
after his allies agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine that would deter 
future Russian attacks once the fighting stops.

In comments released Thursday, he also warned both sides were preparing for 
further fighting, with Russia building up troops on the southern front line 
and Ukraine test launching a new long-range cruise missile.

US Donald Trump is seeking to end Russia's three-and-a-half year invasion of 
Ukraine with a flurry of talks with Zelensky and Putin, upending a years-long 
Western policy of isolating the Russian leader.

"We want to have an understanding of the security guarantees architecture 
within seven to 10 days," Zelensky said, in comments to reporters released 
for publication Thursday.

"We need to understand which country will be ready to do what at each 
specific moment," he said. A group of allies led by Britain and France are 
putting together a military coalition to support the guarantees.

Once an outline of the security guarantees is agreed, Trump would like to see 
a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader said.

But he added that any meeting with the Russian leader should he held in a 
"neutral" European country and ruled out any summit in Moscow.

"Switzerland, Austria -- we agree... For us, Turkey is a NATO country and 
part of Europe. And we are not opposed," Zelensky said of possible venues.

- Russian troop build up -

And he added that he did not want China playing any role in guaranteeing 
Ukraine's security, citing Beijing's alleged support for Moscow.

"We do not need guarantors who do not help Ukraine and did not help Ukraine 
at the time when we really needed it," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader's comments came as Russia launched hundreds of drones 
and missiles against Ukraine overnight in the biggest barrage since mid-July, 
killing one person and wounding many others.

Ukrainian officials said on Thursday that the barrage of 574 drones and 40 
missiles showed Russia was not serious about a peace deal, despite intensive 
US diplomatic efforts in recent days.

Zelensky meanwhile announced that Ukraine had tested a long-range cruise 
missile known as Flamingo that can strike targets as far as 3,000 kilometres 
(1,864 miles) away and said mass production could begin by February.

"The missile has undergone successful tests. It is currently our most 
successful missile," he told reporters.

Since Trump took the White House earlier this year and began pushing for an 
end to the fighting, Russian forces have continued to slowly but steadily 
gain ground across the front line.

Zelensky has said that Russian forces were building up troops along the front 
in Zaporizhzhia region, which Moscow claims as its own along with four other 
Ukrainian regions.

Trump met Putin in Alaska, before bringing Zelensky and European leaders to 
Washington for separate talks earlier this week.

Zelensky has said the only way to end the war is a meeting with Putin, and 
has said Trump should be present too.

But Moscow has played down the prospect of a summit between Putin and 
Zelensky any time soon, and has said it wants to be included in discussions 
on future security guarantees for Ukraine.