Zelensky proposes face-to-face talks in open letter to Putin

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Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a face-to-face meeting between himself and Vladimir Putin in a renewed bid to end the war.

In an open letter to the Russian president, the Ukrainian leader said it would be “wrong to simply wait” until the war in Europe becomes the focus of the US’s attention once more, adding peace could only come “through direct engagement between” Ukraine and Russia.

He also called for a full ceasefire for the duration of proposed negotiations – something Putin ruled out earlier on Thursday.

Donald Trump said on Thursday he thought “it would be great” if the two leaders met.

The Kremlin confirmed it had received the letter and Putin would be briefed on it.

Speaking to foreign journalists in St Petersburg, without apparently having seen the contents of the letter, Putin said he was “certainly prepared and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine”, but said certain compromises needed to be made.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ceasefire negotiations have stalled in recent months, since the Iran war began and previous peace talks in Geneva, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul failed.

In the letter, which is more than 1,800 words long, Zelensky said: “It is not as if we in Ukraine are concerned about the fate of Russian soldiers after everything your war has brought to our country.

“But I do care about Ukrainians. We are losing our people, and every loss is painful to us.”

Zelensky said Russians had become tired of Ukrainian drone and missile attacks, petrol shortages and rising prices, as well as war.

“Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now,” he implored.

He said Ukraine was proposing to end the war “through direct engagement between us”.

He added that while the US was “fully focused on the issue of Iran”, it would be “wrong to simply wait” until the war in Europe returns to the centre of its attention.

Zelensky said face-to-face negotiations could take place in a country such as Switzerland or Turkey.

The Ukrainian president’s letter came on the same day Putin was in St Petersburg, where a major economic forum is taking place.

The previous day Kyiv had launched a drone attack on the city’s outskirts, a strike mentioned in Zelensky’s message as “paying a visit”.

Separately Russian-backed authorities in occupied Crimea blamed Ukraine for the death of four people in attacks on Simferopol. Ukraine said it had hit a fuel depot.

Putin mentioned the war during a press conference with journalists on Thursday at the forum.

In it he appeared to immediately cast doubt on whether a meeting or deal could ever take place.

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He said: “Whether Mr Zelensky is a legitimate representative of Ukraine, this is a question for the lawyers, for a legal analyses.”

Putin also signalled he still wanted to control the entire Donbas region and suggested it was something the EU could talk Zelensky round to surrendering.

In his letter, Zelensky accused Putin of regularly postponing his own deadlines for capturing parts of Ukraine and specifically mentioned the Donetsk region, which is in Donbas. “You will not capture it”, he said.

President Trump acknowledged Zelensky’s letter and said he thought the US had been instrumental in bringing the two countries closer to peace.

He said: “I’m glad that they’re maybe talking about meeting. I think we had a lot to do with that.

“I think it would be great if they met. They should. Get it done.”

Asked about the compromises the two sides would have to make, he said he’d “rather not say” what they would be, but added: “I want them each to make certain compromises, and I think they’re going to do it.”

Earlier on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the US’s stance on Ukraine was “no different” to its European allies.

He added: “Biden’s war has become Trump’s war”.

RussiaUkraineVolodymyr ZelenskyWar in Ukraine