Zelenskiy calls for face-to-face talks in open letter to Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a public call for direct, face-to-face negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking the first such public message since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The open letter serves as a sweeping critique of Putin's nearly three-decade tenure in power.

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I am proposing a meeting.

Zelenskiy proposed that the meeting could be hosted by a neutral third country, suggesting Switzerland, Turkey, or Arab states as potential venues, explicitly ruling out Moscow and Kyiv. He emphasized that leaders are the ones who resolve key issues, stating, "It is leaders who resolve the key issues... That has always been the case, and it always will be." He urged setting a clear date for such a summit.

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They should get it done.

The Ukrainian leader also referenced intelligence suggesting Russia might be planning to extend the war into 2027 or 2028, increasingly relying on ballistic missile strikes. He accused Moscow of attempting to draw Belarus further into the conflict and of destabilizing the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria.

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They’re going to both make compromises. I suggested those compromises.

Zelenskiy argued that Russia is experiencing mounting costs from the war, citing drone attacks within Russian territory, economic strain, fuel shortages, rising prices, and increased mobilization needs. He claimed Russia suffered over 30,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded in May alone, asserting Ukraine possessed video confirmation of these battlefield losses, which he stated have been sustained monthly. Despite these claimed Russian losses, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine continues to endure painful casualties.

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It is leaders who resolve the key issues ... That has always been the case, and it always will be. I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.