Zelenskyy sent a message to Putin via Abramovich – Financial Times

In late May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent a message to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin proposing a bilateral summit via oligarch Roman Abramovich. 

On May 21, during a meeting in Kyiv, the Ukrainian leader asked the businessman to act as a mediator to organize the first direct talks between the leaders of the two countries in over four years. Two senior Ukrainian officials described this request as similar in content to Zelenskyy’s open letter to Putin, published on the president’s official website on June 4.

The Ukrainian side sought to demonstrate its readiness for direct talks with Moscow amid a slowdown in U.S. diplomatic efforts, as Washington’s attention has largely shifted to the situation in the Middle East. Kyiv hopes to strengthen its negotiating position by holding back the offensive and striking targets deep within Russian territory. However, according to sources, during his speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin confirmed the visit of an unnamed business representative, but stated that he sees no point in a personal meeting with Zelenskyy, as he continues to believe that Russia’s advantage in resources will allow it to achieve its goals.

This was reported by the Financial Times, citing four informed sources.

Zelenskyy has published an open letter to Putin – full text.

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.