Putin rejected Zelenskyy's proposal for a face-to-face meeting
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has refused to support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal for a face-to-face meeting and a ceasefire.
During a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin stated that he had read Zelenskyy’s open letter but saw no grounds for holding high-level talks.
According to the Russian leader, Moscow is not interested in a short-term truce and seeks to reach agreements that will have a “long-term historical perspective.” He also noted that Russia has no intention of returning to agreement formats similar to the Minsk agreements.
Commenting on the mention of his age in Zelenskyy’s letter, Putin stated that what matters is not a politician’s age, but his capacity to work and his effectiveness.
Separately, the Kremlin leader claimed that the Ukrainian side had allegedly previously requested, through intermediaries, to organize a personal meeting. He provided no evidence to support this claim.
Putin also criticized the public format of the Ukrainian president’s appeal and called certain phrases in the letter unacceptable.
At the end of his response, he addressed the Russian military, urging them to continue combat operations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an open letter to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The document formally proposes ending the war through direct bilateral negotiations between the leaders and implementing a complete ceasefire.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow is allegedly ready for negotiations to end the war against Ukraine, but sees no willingness for dialogue on the Ukrainian side.
Putin is not changing course and continues to finance the war.
