Zelenskyy Proposes Peace Talks With Putin in Open Letter, Urges Neutral-Place Meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed peace talks to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a rare and combative open letter on Thursday, as efforts to end more than four years of war gained momentum.

Zelenskyy wrote, "Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations," and said, "life without war is infinitely better" as he urged a meeting to achieve that outcome.

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The National Post said European leaders from Germany, France and the U.K. were discussing the possibility of holding talks involving Russia and Ukraine, while Bloomberg reported that leaders of the UK, France and Germany were planning to meet Zelenskyy on Sunday in the UK.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Tass that Putin had not yet had an opportunity to read the letter but would be briefed on it later, and the letter rejected Moscow as a venue by citing Switzerland, Turkey or Arab countries as possible options.

Putin rejected the proposal for direct talks, telling international media that the letter did not appear to be a genuine attempt to facilitate negotiations and saying, "This letter contains some rather rude remarks" at Russia’s annual economic forum.

Kurdistan 24 reported Putin’s response when asked whether he would meet Zelenskyy: "I don't see any point for now," while the same article said Moscow claimed battlefield gains and diplomatic deadlock persisted.

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The National Post said U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the Ukrainian initiative, quoting him as saying, "I’m glad that they’re maybe talking about meeting, I think we had a lot to do with it," when asked about the letter in the Oval Office.

Bloomberg added that French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the plan for the UK, France and Germany to see Zelenskyy in the coming days, with the meeting understood to take place in the UK and possibly shifted.

The Guardian published the open letter’s text, where Zelenskyy wrote, "We do not want a permanent war" and insisted, "We know very well that life without war is infinitely better."

In the same letter, Zelenskyy said any meeting should take place in a third country and rejected Moscow as a venue, while the National Post said Putin had repeatedly said he would meet Zelenskyy only at the final stage of peace negotiations to sign an agreement rather than conduct substantive talks.

USA Today reported Trump endorsed Zelenskyy’s pitch for direct talks without U.S. involvement, quoting Trump in the Oval Office as saying, "I think it would be great if they met. They should. To get it done," and adding that Zelenskyy proposed a full ceasefire for the duration of negotiations.

The Guardian also framed the stakes beyond the leaders’ meeting by publishing Zelenskyy’s argument that the front line must be the starting point for diplomacy, quoting him: "The front line today is the line from which diplomacy must begin."