Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an open letter Thursday urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet directly and discuss ending the four-year war in Ukraine.
In the letter, Zelenskyy asked Putin not to be afraid to take a path out of the conflict. He acknowledged that U.S. foreign policy attention has shifted toward the war in Iran and argued Ukraine should not simply wait for Washington to re-engage on peace talks.
Putin rejected the overture on Friday at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, saying he did not see any point in such a meeting for now. Zelenskyy called the response weak and said it showed Russia was again choosing war.
Previous mediation efforts have faltered over territorial disputes. Putin has said he would meet in a third country only when there is a deal ready to sign.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/5/zelenskyy-asks-putin-for-meeting-whats-he-offering-could-russia-accept