Putin refused to meet with Zelensky, called the letter rude, and advised him to learn from Trump
He said that for Kyiv, negotiations are a way to stop the Russian offensive, while Moscow expects "agreements", and he appealed to the fighters: "Work, brothers."
During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he had read an open letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, called it brazen, and stated that he saw no grounds for a personal meeting with the Ukrainian leader.
Explaining his reaction to the message, the Russian president described the tone of the address as not conducive to establishing contact, and noted that such steps create obstacles to dialogue.
«The letter (from Zelensky) contains elements of rudeness. Is this the creation of conditions for personal meetings and negotiations? Or the creation of an atmosphere in which it is impossible to hold any personal meetings? I think the latter. One should address not lovers of the epistolary genre, but our fighters on the front line: «The whole country is looking at you. Work, brothers», — said Vladimir Putin.
Separately, he noted that, in his view, Volodymyr Zelensky should learn good manners from U.S. President Donald Trump, pointing to the unacceptable tone of the Ukrainian address.
Commenting on the prospects for talks, Putin made it clear that he is not considering the possibility of a personal meeting with the President of Ukraine, emphasizing the difference in the parties’ objectives.
«I see no point in meeting with Zelensky. The point of negotiations for Ukraine is to stop our offensive. And we need agreements», — said Vladimir Putin.
Prior to this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published an open appeal to Vladimir Putin proposing a personal meeting and an end to the war; the full text is available via the link.
Earlier we wrote:
- “Enough of war”: Zelensky issued a direct challenge to Putin and proposed a personal meeting
- Only on equal terms: Zelensky said he was ready for direct negotiations with Putin, despite America’s expectations
- Trump in Beijing asked Xi to persuade Putin to resume negotiations on Ukraine
- Zelensky warns of a bad feeling about peace talks with Russia
- Trump accused Zelensky of being unwilling to make peace
