Zelensky publishes open letter to Putin proposing personal meeting and direct negotiations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has published an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he proposed launching a direct negotiation process between the two countries and holding a personal meeting to discuss ending the war.

The document was posted on the website of the Office of the President.

In the letter, Zelensky declared Ukraine’s readiness for a full ceasefire for the entire duration of the negotiations. He suggested that the United States could oversee compliance with the truce.

Kyiv also proposes an “all for all” prisoner of war exchange, the return of civilians and children taken away during the war, and subsequently the discussion of long-term security guarantees.

Regarding the venue and format of the meeting, Zelensky proposed setting a specific date and indicated that the talks could be held in Switzerland, Turkey, or one of the Arab countries. He said the United States and European states could later join the bilateral format as potential guarantors of future agreements.

A significant portion of the letter is devoted to criticism of Russian policy. Zelensky also stated that Kyiv has information about Moscow’s plans to continue the war in 2027–2028.

At the end of the letter, the Ukrainian president warned that if the path of negotiations is rejected, Ukraine will continue to fight, and declared that “the front line right now is the line from which diplomacy must begin.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced that Zelensky’s letter will be officially transmitted to Putin through diplomatic channels.

“We expect a substantive response to this proposal. The time has come to end this war. The time has come to choose peace,” Sybiha wrote on his page on the social network X.

Putin, for his part, made clear that he is waiting for the withdrawal of Ukraine’s Armed Forces from Donbas as a condition for peace, and also spoke about what he would say to Zelensky if they were to meet to sign a peace agreement.