Zelenskyy calls for face-to-face negotiations in letter to Putin | Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for face-to-face negotiations in a public letter addressed directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The letter, Zelenskyy’s first public letter written directly to Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, was a sweeping criticism of the Russian leader’s 26-year rule.

Zelenskyy acknowledged that US priorities have changed, saying it would be wrong to expect the Trump administration to turn its attention to ending the Ukraine war while focusing heavily on the Iran war.

“I propose a meeting,” Zelenskyy wrote.

He appeared to be trying to seize a pivotal moment in the war, as Ukraine began to regain influence on the battlefield, thanks in large part to advanced long-range strike capabilities that made Russia’s advance more difficult. At the same time, Moscow has intensified its deadly air campaign across Ukraine to exploit Kiev’s shortcomings and continued vulnerability to ballistic missile attacks.

Putin said on Thursday he would strengthen Russia’s air defenses against recent Ukrainian drone attacks that reached deep into his country and cast a shadow over a showcase economic forum in his hometown of St Petersburg.

Speaking at a meeting with the heads of international news agencies, Putin acknowledged the damage caused by Ukrainian drone strikes. Regarding the attacks, Putin said, “Unfortunately, some attacks took place.” “Russia has an air defense system, we need to develop and strengthen it, we will do this.”

The wide-ranging media session took place at Putin’s annual investment showcase in St. It took place on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Hours before the forum opened on Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone strike set fire to an oil terminal in the city and also hit a nearby naval base.

Putin also said Russia is open to compromises on Ukraine in line with agreements reached with Donald Trump at his summit in Anchorage, Alaska, and that Ukraine should accept them to make a deal to end the conflict, now in its fifth year.

Trump said Thursday it would be “great” for Zelenskyy to meet with Putin, but said both sides would need to make concessions without further explanation.

“I’m glad they’re talking about maybe meeting. I think we have a lot to do with that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I think it would be great if they met. They should work this out.”

“They will both make concessions, I suggested those concessions and you know, we contributed a lot to this.”

In his letter, Zelenskyy stated that the proposed talks could be held by a neutral third country, that Moscow and Kiev could not be considered as venues, and suggested Switzerland, Turkey or Arab countries as possible hosts for the negotiations.

“Leaders are the ones who solve the fundamental problems. It has always been that way and it always will be that way,” he wrote. “I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.”

He noted that Ukrainian intelligence is considering Russia’s plans to extend the war into 2027 and 2028 and increasingly rely on ballistic missile strikes to achieve what ground operations have failed to achieve.

Zelenskyy also accused Moscow of trying to draw Belarus further into the conflict and destabilize the situation around the Russian-backed Moldavian region of Transnistria.

The Ukrainian leader argued that Russia is increasingly feeling the cost of war, pointing to drone attacks deep within Russian territory, economic distress, fuel shortages, rising prices and the need for greater military mobilization.

Zelenskyy claimed that more than 30,000 soldiers were killed or seriously wounded in Russia in May alone, saying Ukraine had “video confirmation” of losses on the battlefield and that such levels of casualties continued month after month.

He said that despite what he called a positive casualty rate, Ukraine also continues to suffer painful losses.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to implement a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations and suggested an exchange of prisoners for all as a first step towards ending the conflict. He also called for the return of civilians and children taken from Ukraine during the war.

Addressing Putin, Zelenskyy said, “The world is not tired of Ukraine, as you had long hoped. But there is a growing fatigue in Russia.”