``Sit down with me to negotiate, just not at 30 meters,`` he said Thursday, apparently referring to recent photos of Putin sitting at one end of an extremely long table when he met with French President Emmanuel Macron.

``I don't bite. What are you afraid of?'' Zelenskyy said at a Thursday news conference.

Zelenskyy said it was sensible to have talks: ``Any words are more important than shots.''