Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin, because apparently email chains and angry tweets just aren't cutting it anymore. In an open letter to the Russian president, the Ukrainian leader said it would be "wrong to simply wait" until the war in Europe becomes the US's main focus again - presumably once the Iran situation is wrapped up - adding that peace can only come "through direct engagement between" Ukraine and Russia.
Zelensky also proposed a full ceasefire during the negotiations, a suggestion Putin had already ruled out earlier on Thursday, because consistency is for people who aren't running a war. US President Donald Trump chimed in, saying he thought "it would be great" if the two leaders met, which is about as specific as a fortune cookie.
The Kremlin confirmed receipt of the letter and said Putin would be briefed on it, presumably while someone reads it aloud to him over borscht. The tone of the letter was defiant, even mocking, with Zelensky noting that "after 26 years in power, age is beginning to take its toll" on Putin - a polite way of saying 'maybe it's time for a nap, Vladimir.'
"Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us - and you. I am proposing a meeting," Zelensky wrote. This isn't a new offer; the Kremlin's standard reply has been that Zelensky is welcome to visit Moscow, which is like inviting someone to a party where you're the only one allowed to bring fireworks.
What's notable is Kyiv's public acknowledgment that the US "is fully focused on the issue of Iran." Zelensky wrote, "It would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the centre of its attention," suggesting Ukraine isn't keen on being the B-plot in the world's geopolitical drama.
Speaking to foreign journalists in St. Petersburg, apparently without having read the letter (maybe it got lost in translation), Putin said he was "certainly prepared and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine" but insisted on compromises. He suggested that since Trump is busy with Iran, the EU could talk Zelensky into surrendering territory - because nothing says 'diplomacy' like outsourcing the dirty work.
Putin's longstanding position: Ukraine should withdraw from four partially occupied regions - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia - and give up its NATO ambitions. Ukraine has ruled out ceding territory, arguing it would only embolden Russia to invade again, as it did in 2022 after illegally annexing Crimea in 2014. Ceasefire negotiations have stalled; previous peace talks in Geneva, Abu Dhabi, and Istanbul went about as well as a snowball's chance in a sauna.
In the letter - which runs over 1,800 words, longer than most people's attention spans - Zelensky wrote: "It is not as if we in Ukraine are concerned about the fate of Russian soldiers after everything your war has brought to our country. But I do care about Ukrainians. We are losing our people, and every loss is painful to us." He added that Russians are tired of Ukrainian drone and missile attacks, petrol shortages, and rising prices - war fatigue hitting both sides, apparently.
"Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now," he implored, suggesting face-to-face talks could take place in Switzerland or Turkey - neutral ground where nobody's bombing anybody, at least for the duration.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the letter "a serious and meaningful proposal to end the war," and said, "We expect a meaningful response. It's time to end this war. It's time to choose peace."
The letter arrived on the same day Putin was in St. Petersburg for a major economic forum - convenient timing, as Kyiv had just launched a drone attack on the city's outskirts, a strike Zelensky mentioned as "paying a visit." Separately, Russian-backed authorities in occupied Crimea blamed Ukraine for four deaths in attacks on Simferopol; Ukraine said it hit a fuel depot, because 'collateral damage' is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot.
During his press conference, Putin immediately cast doubt on whether a meeting or deal could ever happen, questioning whether Zelensky is a "legitimate representative" of Ukraine - because when you're losing, you question the referee's credentials. Trump, meanwhile, said the US had been instrumental in bringing the two countries closer to peace: "I think it would be great if they met. They should. Get it done." Asked about compromises, he said he'd "rather not say," adding, "I want them each to make certain compromises, and I think they're going to do it." So, vague optimism all around.