SAINT PETERSBURG: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday proposed a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for a ceasefire during negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In response to the Ukrainian President’s proposal, the Kremlin said that Zelensky is welcome to meet Putin in Moscow “any time”.
“Zelensky can come at any time to Moscow,” Russia’s state media quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying, adding that Putin had not yet been shown Zelensky’s letter.
In a rare open letter to the Russian leader on Thursday, Zelensky proposed a direct meeting with Putin for peace talks to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Shortly, US President Donald Trump said it would be “great” for Zelensky to meet Putin.
“I’m glad that they’re maybe talking about meeting. I think we had a lot to do with it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I think it would be great if they met. They should — get it done.”
In his letter, Zelensky said that Ukraine proposed ending the war through direct talks with Putin.
“Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting,” Zelensky said in the letter.
“I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting,” he said.
“Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations,” he added.
Open Letter
To the President of the Russian Federation
From the President of UkraineWhen you came to power in Russia more than 26 years ago, many people in Ukraine viewed you positively. That is how it was. But that is now in the past.
Now, the overwhelming majority of…— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 4, 2026
Zelensky published the letter a day after Ukrainian drones hit Saint Petersburg, Putin’s home city, hosting a major international economic forum this week.
Direct addresses from Zelensky to the Russian leader are rare.
Months of US-led negotiations have failed to bring the sides close to an agreement.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine pull out of its eastern Donbas region as a precondition to peace talks.
Speaking to foreign journalists in Saint Petersburg just before Zelensky’s appeal was published, Putin had repeated his frequent questioning of the Ukrainian leader’s legitimacy.
He said the question of whether Zelensky was Ukraine’s legitimate leader needed “analysis”, after his initial five-year term expired in 2024.
Putin has said he would only meet Zelensky to finalise an already agreed deal.
“We are absolutely ready and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine through peaceful means,” Putin added.
