Kathmandu — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, proposing a direct, face-to-face meeting. This marks the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that Zelenskyy has publicly addressed Putin through a formal letter.
In the letter, Zelenskyy emphasized that direct talks between the leaders of both nations are essential to ending the war. He proposed holding the meeting in a neutral country, suggesting Switzerland, Turkey, or an Arab nation as potential venues. He explicitly stressed that such negotiations should take place neither in Moscow nor in Kyiv.
According to Zelenskyy, major and decisive issues must ultimately be resolved by the top leaders of the countries. He urged Putin to fix a specific date to convene the meeting. Furthermore, he noted that Ukraine cannot rely solely on the United States to bring an end to the war, subtly pointing out that the American administration’s attention is currently divided across other international issues, including Iran.
Citing reports from Ukrainian intelligence agencies, Zelenskyy claimed in the letter that Russia is planning to drag the war out until 2027 or 2028. He also accused Russia of increasingly relying on missile strikes after failing to achieve its expected successes on the ground.
Zelenskyy further alleged that Russia is trying to pull Belarus deeper into the conflict and is attempting to fuel instability in Transnistria, the Russian-backed breakaway region of Moldova. According to him, the financial cost of the war and overall pressure on Moscow continue to mount.
He claimed that Moscow is under immense pressure due to ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia, economic strain, fuel shortages, inflation, and the continuous need for additional military mobilization. Zelenskyy asserted that in the month of May alone, more than 30,000 Russian soldiers were killed or severely injured, stating that Ukraine possesses video evidence of these casualties. However, he also acknowledged that Ukraine continues to suffer heavy losses as well.
To move toward ending the conflict, Zelenskyy proposed that a complete ceasefire must be implemented for the entire duration of the negotiation period. He also demanded the comprehensive exchange of prisoners of war and the return of Ukrainian citizens and children who were forcefully taken to Russia. Concluding the letter, Zelenskyy remarked that the international community is not fatigued by Ukraine, but rather that “Russia fatigue” is growing worldwide. He added that the global community remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine, while the pressure on Russia continues to intensify.
FACEBOOK COMMENTS