Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would travel to the host city of the Group of 20 summit if Russian President Vladimir Putin attends, Kyunghyang Shinmun and the Liberty Times reported.

Were it to happen, it would be the first time the two leaders sat in the same conference hall since the war began. The Kremlin, however, said such a meeting was not possible.

The Russian presidency responded coolly to using a multilateral venue while the format and conditions of any talks remain unsettled, arguing there is no point without prior agreement on the agenda.

Kyiv sees contact at a multilateral event as a possible opening for resuming negotiations, and points to the role of third countries that have offered to mediate.

Because the G20 chair decides who is invited, attendance by any individual leader rests on the chair's judgment and requires consultation among members.

The two sides have continued indirect contacts in limited areas such as prisoner exchanges and partial understandings on energy facilities. The gap over ceasefire terms has not narrowed.

European governments maintain that what can be agreed in advance matters more than holding a meeting, fearing that an unprepared encounter would drain negotiating momentum.

Jockeying over attendance is likely to continue as the summit approaches. Whether it happens should become clear through the host country's announcements.