“I want now to have negotiations between the Ukrainian president and the Russian president,” she said during a press conference with US President Donald Trump in Biarritz.

Merkel called the situation around Ukraine a big problem, calling for progress on this issue.

Earlier, the Kremlin stated "the beginning of a dialogue between the two presidents."

As noted in the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, direct negotiations with Putin are Zelensky’s new approach.

During a press conference on August 19, Putin emphasized that contacts with Zelensky inspire "cautious optimism."