Zelensky challenges Putin to face-to-face summit to end Ukraine war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday issued an extraordinary open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, proposing a face-to-face summit on neutral ground to negotiate an immediate ceasefire and a full prisoner exchange. The letter, published hours after Putin’s latest public remarks at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, marks the first direct appeal from Zelensky to Putin since the war began and signals a potential shift in diplomatic momentum.
In the letter, Zelensky accused Putin of waging a “war without a real reason” and warned that history would remember it as “your personal choice.” He called for a meeting in Switzerland, Türkiye, or an Arab state, with a full ceasefire in place during negotiations and guarantees of broader security commitments from Europe and the United States. “Enough of the war,” Zelensky wrote. “Let us meet to end it.”
The proposal comes as Putin faces mounting domestic pressure over the war’s economic toll, including inflation and fuel shortages, while Ukraine has intensified its battlefield gains. At the St. Petersburg forum, Putin reiterated Russia’s demand for Ukraine’s “demilitarisation” but left the door open for diplomacy, claiming Moscow was ready to end the war “through compromise” based on discussions with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska.
Western officials are now considering a coordinated push to bring Putin to the negotiating table. According to reports, Britain, France, and Germany are quietly exploring a secret plan to pressure Moscow into resuming talks, as Russia’s military losses and economic stagnation weaken its position.
Zelensky’s letter also highlighted Putin’s 26-year rule, during which he has “spent almost half… in war against Ukraine,” a pointed reference to conflicts in Chechnya, Georgia, and now Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader framed the proposal as a last chance for peace, warning that further delay would only deepen suffering on both sides. “This is how history will remember it,” he wrote.
Reaction to the letter has been swift. Czech officials suggested German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as a potential mediator, while analysts noted the timing—amid Putin’s economic forum—could force the Kremlin to respond. Meanwhile, Putin’s economic summit in St. Petersburg drew a “rogues’ gallery” of international figures, underscoring Russia’s isolation and the war’s strain on its economy.
The question now is whether Putin will accept Zelensky’s offer—or double down on military escalation. With Ukraine’s forces advancing and Western unity holding, the pressure on Moscow to negotiate has never been greater.
Zelensky challenges Putin to face-to-face summit to end Ukraine war
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