Zelensky publishes open letter to Putin, proposes personal meeting to end war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has published an open letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Ukraine is ready for direct dialogue and proposing a face-to-face meeting to discuss ways of ending the war.
In the letter, Zelensky argued that the ongoing conflict is creating growing challenges for Russia. Among them, he cited drone and missile attacks, fuel supply problems, tightening restrictions, and discussions about a possible new mobilization campaign, according to the BBC’s Russian Service.
The Ukrainian leader also referred to intelligence estimates claiming that Russian forces suffered around 30,000 killed and seriously wounded in May. He said similar casualty figures had been recorded for several consecutive months.
According to Zelensky, approximately 63 percent of those losses were fatalities and 37 percent were wounded personnel. He described the ratio as highly unfavorable for a modern military and suggested it could worsen over time.
Zelensky again proposed a personal meeting with Putin in a neutral country, while ruling out the possibility of holding talks in Moscow.
«Everyone heard your representatives smiling as they said that I could supposedly come to Moscow. But after these 26 years, there is nothing for a Ukrainian leader to do in your capital, just as there is nothing for a Russian leader to do in Kyiv,» he wrote.
The Ukrainian president also said that relations between Ukraine and Russia had changed dramatically during Putin’s years in power. Whereas the two countries once discussed mainly civilian and economic issues, the agenda is now dominated by war and military losses, he said.
Zelensky further noted that U.S. attention is currently focused to a significant extent on developments surrounding Iran. Against this backdrop, he called for efforts to end the conflict through direct dialogue between the two sides.
«Ukraine proposes ending the war in a format between you and us,» the letter states.
The Ukrainian president also outlined several proposals for a potential negotiating process. These include:
The letter was published on the official website of the Ukrainian president while Putin was speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he commented on strikes targeting St. Petersburg and Russia’s use of the Oreshnik missile system.
In the letter, Zelensky argued that the ongoing conflict is creating growing challenges for Russia. Among them, he cited drone and missile attacks, fuel supply problems, tightening restrictions, and discussions about a possible new mobilization campaign, according to the BBC’s Russian Service.
The Ukrainian leader also referred to intelligence estimates claiming that Russian forces suffered around 30,000 killed and seriously wounded in May. He said similar casualty figures had been recorded for several consecutive months.
According to Zelensky, approximately 63 percent of those losses were fatalities and 37 percent were wounded personnel. He described the ratio as highly unfavorable for a modern military and suggested it could worsen over time.
Zelensky again proposed a personal meeting with Putin in a neutral country, while ruling out the possibility of holding talks in Moscow.
«Everyone heard your representatives smiling as they said that I could supposedly come to Moscow. But after these 26 years, there is nothing for a Ukrainian leader to do in your capital, just as there is nothing for a Russian leader to do in Kyiv,» he wrote.
The Ukrainian president also said that relations between Ukraine and Russia had changed dramatically during Putin’s years in power. Whereas the two countries once discussed mainly civilian and economic issues, the agenda is now dominated by war and military losses, he said.
Zelensky further noted that U.S. attention is currently focused to a significant extent on developments surrounding Iran. Against this backdrop, he called for efforts to end the conflict through direct dialogue between the two sides.
«Ukraine proposes ending the war in a format between you and us,» the letter states.
The Ukrainian president also outlined several proposals for a potential negotiating process. These include:
- Setting a specific date for talks and holding them in a third country, such as Switzerland, Türkiye, or an Arab state;
- Involving Europe and the United States in the negotiations as potential guarantors of any agreements reached;
- Establishing a ceasefire along the current front line for the duration of the negotiations;
- Monitoring compliance with the ceasefire with U.S. participation;
- Conducting a prisoner exchange under an «all-for-all» formula.
The letter was published on the official website of the Ukrainian president while Putin was speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he commented on strikes targeting St. Petersburg and Russia’s use of the Oreshnik missile system.
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