Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for face-to-face negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an open letter proposing an end to the war. In his first public message to the Russian leader since the full-scale invasion, Zelenskiy sought to unfreeze peace talks and jumpstart direct negotiations. The letter asserts that while Ukrainian resilience remains intact, most Russians have grown weary of the conflict's effects, including inflation, fuel shortages, and missile and drone attacks.
President Putin rejected the call, stating he currently sees no reason to meet. Speaking at Russia's annual economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin described the letter as rude and boorish, questioning whether the communication was a sincere offer or a way to avoid setting up a meeting. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin had been briefed on the letter prior to these comments.
Russian nationalists dismissed the initiative as a malicious public relations stunt intended to stir discontent inside Russia. Putin maintained a hardline stance, asserting that his troops are advancing on the battlefield every day and that military action would only stop after Moscow achieves its goals. However, he noted that peace proposals from U.S. President Donald Trump could end the fighting if Kyiv was ready to compromise.
Russia and Ukraine have held peace talks since the war began in 2022, but those efforts have yielded no concrete outcome. Zelenskiy's initiative comes as European partners attempt to regain control of peace talks that the Trump administration abandoned, while the Ukrainian president warned that Kyiv stands ready to fight on if a deal is not reached.