Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is prepared to hold a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, provided that Kyiv first secures binding security guarantees. Speaking after talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders in Washington, Zelenskyy stressed that any hesitation by Moscow should draw a “strong reaction” from Washington, underscoring the United States’ role as chief broker of the prospective talks. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Putin, during a call with Trump, promised to meet Zelenskyy in the coming weeks. U.S. officials are examining Budapest as a possible host city, while French President Emmanuel Macron has urged that the summit be held in neutral Europe, naming Geneva. Zelenskyy himself listed Switzerland, Austria or Turkey as acceptable venues and dismissed a Kremlin proposal to meet in Moscow. The choice of location is complicated by the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Putin; Switzerland and Austria have indicated they could grant limited immunity to facilitate negotiations. Hungary, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also been floated, but Kyiv sees Budapest as “challenging” because of Hungary’s close ties to Moscow. Despite the flurry of diplomatic activity, Zelenskyy said talks will not proceed until a framework of security guarantees for Ukraine is agreed, leaving the timeline and venue for the first Putin-Zelenskyy summit uncertain.