In this letter addressed to his Russian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky writes that “Ukraine proposes to put an end to this war through direct engagement between” the two heads of state.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a direct meeting with his Russian counterpart in a letter to Vladimir Putin published on Thursday, after the latter had just recognized that Russia needed to strengthen its anti-aircraft defenses after a series of Ukrainian drone strikes.
The Kremlin said President Putin had not yet seen the letter, but that Volodymyr Zelensky could come «à tout moment à Moscou» meet his Russian counterpart there, which the Ukrainian president automatically dismisses in his missive. “Ukraine offers to end this war through direct contact between you and us. I suggest a meeting »a écrit Volodymyr Zelensky, suggérant “Switzerland, Turkey and the countries of the Arab world”.
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The Ukrainian president added that Ukraine was “ready for a complete ceasefire for the duration of negotiations”. This letter was published the day after Ukrainian drone strikes on an oil terminal and a military naval base in Saint Petersburg, the birthplace of Vladimir Putin and where the traditional International Economic Forum (SPIEF) began.
The Ukrainian president has rarely spoken directly to his Russian counterpart since the launch of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but he has called several times for a meeting, believing that only a face-to-face meeting could lead to an agreement. American-mediated negotiation efforts have been at a standstill since the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
Moscow is demanding political and territorial concessions from kyiv, in particular a complete withdrawal from the Donetsk region, partially controlled by Moscow, which Ukraine rejects, equating them with capitulation. kyiv has also repeatedly proposed an extended ceasefire to encourage negotiations. But Moscow rejects this idea, arguing that it would allow the Ukrainian army to strengthen.
The Russian president once again questioned the legitimacy of his Ukrainian counterpart to conduct negotiations, emphasizing Thursday that Volodymyr Zelensky’s mandate expired in 2024. Under the martial law in force since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, no elections can take place.
“Strengthen anti-aircraft defense”
Vladimir Putin has already said that he would only be ready for a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky once a peace agreement has been fully finalized by the negotiating teams. “Zelensky can come to Moscow at any time”declared Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov for his part, according to comments cited by Russian state media. The publication of this letter took place as the Russian president recognized that Russia must “better” And “reinforcer” its anti-aircraft defense.
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Ukraine has recently intensified its drone strikes on occupied territories and Russia in retaliation for daily Russian bombings against its territory. “If you do not come to the conclusion on your own that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue to fight for its existence.”asserts Volodymyr Zelensky in his letter.
Vladimir Putin affirmed from Saint Petersburg that he was always ready to negotiate with kyiv an exit from the conflict, which according to him does not exclude total control by Moscow over the Donbass, a mining basin in eastern Ukraine of which Donetsk is a part. “One does not exclude the other”he told journalists. The Russian leader also affirmed that Moscow’s troops are advancing “across the entire front line”. From the Oval Office, Donald Trump assured that a meeting between the two men would be “above”. “I’m glad they’re talking about meeting. I think we have something to do with it (…) I think it would be great if they met.”at-il déclaré.
An AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) shows, however, that Ukraine took back some 282 km2 from the Russians in May, reducing for the second month in a row the area of its territory controlled by Moscow, which had been gaining ground since the fall of 2023. The president Russian, who was finishing a meeting with the foreign press in St. Petersburg at the time of the letter’s publication, did not react immediately but «will be informed» of the letter, according to the Kremlin, which specifies that Volodymyr Zelensky can come «à tout moment» meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
