Against the background of faltering US mediation efforts, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has offered direct peace talks to Russian head of state Vladimir Putin in an open letter. He suggested a meeting in a third country to clarify “key questions” personally with the Kremlin chief, according to the letter published by the presidential office in Kiev. In response, the Kremlin only renewed its offer – which Zelensky had already rejected several times – for negotiations in Moscow and the demand for complete control of the Ukrainian Donbass region as a prerequisite for peace.
At the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Putin was confident of victory. The Ukrainian counterpart in particular has problems, he said in a press conference for foreign news agencies.
However, many Russians expect that Putin will show solutions to the pent-up problems in his own country from his speech today in front of a large audience. At the event he traditionally answers questions that may also revolve around the Ukraine war. In the fifth year of the war, Russia is confronted with a slump in growth and ongoing Western sanctions. Nevertheless, the Kremlin wants to demonstrate economic power at the forum.
Zelensky insists on direct negotiations with Putin
It is clear that Putin will not travel to Kiev for peace talks – if at all – any more than Zelenskyj will travel to Moscow. That’s why the Ukrainian mentioned Switzerland, Turkey or one of the Arab states as alternatives.
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House about the letter that he would like it if there was a meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
As a first step, the Ukrainian leader proposed a ceasefire along the current front line, which would be monitored by the United States. This could be followed by a prisoner exchange “of all for all” and a return of civilians and children “abducted during the war”. In Zelensky’s opinion, representatives from Europe and the USA should also be involved in the talks as possible guarantors.
The Russian side did not respond to the content of the letter. Shortly before the letter was published, Putin said: “We are undoubtedly ready to reach an agreement with Ukraine.” However, the Kremlin chief emphasized that the basis for this was the Anchorage agreements. US President Trump met him in the city in Alaska last summer. However, no concrete results or agreements were announced afterwards.
Russia insists on full control over Donbass
Putin said his demand for full Russian control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a condition of peace does not contradict the postulated willingness to engage in dialogue. According to his account, the Russian army is attacking on the entire front, while Ukraine lacks soldiers. On the battlefield, Russia’s military has the upper hand and is constantly making territorial gains, he continued.
The figure he gave for this, of 2,440 square kilometers gained, is significantly higher than Kiev’s figures. According to calculations by Ukrainian military observers close to the government, the Russian army has conquered almost 700 square kilometers at a decreasing pace since the beginning of the year.
Putin: Russian attack on NATO land is “nonsense”
At the press conference, Putin emphatically rejected widespread warnings in the West about a Russian threat and a possible imminent attack on a NATO country as “nonsense”. “But in my opinion it’s not just nonsense – it’s a deliberate provocation,” Putin said. A threat situation is deliberately created that “does not actually exist.”
The aim is to “force the people of their own countries to spend more money on defense,” said Putin. He is surprised that part of the population in European countries believes these stories. “Anyone who thinks that Russia might invade NATO territory should ask themselves the question: Why?”
The Western defense alliance is considered militarily superior to Russia, but is also weakened by crumbling cohesion and questionable support from the powerful US military under Trump.
Putin’s assurances that he is not planning any attacks on NATO territory are repeatedly questioned in the West. Before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin chief declared that Moscow was not planning a war. The Kremlin also resorted to deception when it annexed Crimea and supported pro-Russian separatists in southeastern Ukraine.
Kremlin insists on neutral mediators
In the press conference, Putin asserted his willingness to engage in dialogue with Europe to end the war. However, only neutral “people” who “you can trust” would be considered as intermediaries. He was “astonished” that his plea for former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to act as a mediator was wildly discussed in Germany. It’s not about whether Schröder is his friend or not; the ex-chancellor is a statesman who stands up for Germany’s interests and defends his own positions. Germany and Europe are not neutral because of the arms deliveries to Ukraine.
Russia has nothing against Ukraine’s associated EU membership brought into play by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “This is none of our business. We are not against it,” Putin said. Moscow has no objection to economic connections and integration on the European continent. “We are against the EU turning into a military bloc,” Putin emphasized. This raises concerns in Russia.
Since the war ordered by Putin began in February 2022, the EU and its members have been supporting Ukraine, and not just with arms deliveries. Due to speculation about an at least partial US troop withdrawal from Europe, there are also increasing voices calling for greater military cooperation between EU countries.
“When Russia gets tired, change is coming”
In his letter to Putin, Zelensky wrote that Russians were increasingly fed up with the constant threat of Ukrainian drone and missile attacks, rising prices and restrictions on their freedoms. At the same time, the resources of the Russian power apparatus were shrinking. “You will not have enough money or political capital to continue to buy the loyalty of Russians as you have done for the last 26 years.” It is not a Ukrainian threat, but “a fact of Russian history that you know well: When Russia gets tired, change is coming. We can encourage that tiredness. And you can stop your war.”
