Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin remains “the most effective way forward” to end the war, now in its fourth year. He made the appeal on Sunday as Ukraine commemorated the 34th anniversary of its independence. Zelenskyy added that he will confer this week with U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg to prepare for a possible summit with Putin, and that American and Ukrainian officials are expected to gather later in the week to advance the plan. The consultations signal renewed U.S. efforts under President Donald Trump to revive stalled peace talks. The Kremlin has dismissed prospects for an immediate meeting, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Kyiv of setting preconditions. With battlefield clashes continuing, Zelenskyy said high-level negotiations are needed to break the deadlock and secure a durable cease-fire.