Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's leader, sent an open letter to Vladimir Putin proposing a face-to-face meeting between the two to find a way to end the war without waiting for the US, which is currently focused on the Iran conflict.
Foreign news agencies reported on 4 Jun 2026 GMT+7 that Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, sent an open letter to Vladimir Putin, Russia's leader, calling for another face-to-face meeting to seek a resolution to the war that has lasted over four years.
In the letter, the Ukrainian leader stated that it would be a “mistake to just sit and wait” until the war in Europe regains US attention, adding that peace can only be achieved through “direct talks between” Ukraine and Russia.
He also called for a full ceasefire during the proposed negotiations, a request that Putin had just rejected on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump said on Thursday that he thought it “would be great” if the two leaders met. The Kremlin confirmed receipt of the letter and said it would inform Putin accordingly.
Earlier, Putin told foreign reporters in Saint Petersburg, apparently without having seen the letter’s content, that he was “very ready and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine,” but noted that compromises would be necessary from both sides.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but ceasefire talks have stalled in recent months since the Iran conflict began, and previous peace talks in Geneva, Abu Dhabi, and Istanbul have all failed.
In the letter, which is over 1,800 words long, Zelensky said, “It is not that we in Ukraine suddenly care about the fate of Russian soldiers, after all that your war has brought to our country, but I care about Ukrainians. We are losing our people, and every loss is painful.”
Zelensky said Russians themselves are growing weary of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes, oil shortages, soaring prices, and war dangers. “Do not be afraid to choose a way out of this war. That is the most important thing expected from you at this time.”
The Ukrainian leader added that Ukraine is proposing to end the war “through direct talks between the two of us,” while the US is “fully focused on the Iran issue,” and it would be a “mistake” to just wait until the European war regains US attention.
He also suggested that face-to-face talks could be held in countries such as Switzerland or Turkey.
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Source:bbc