The Russian president rejected the possibility of a direct meeting with the Ukrainian president, despite the relevant request from , arguing that the priority at this stage is not a summit but the achievement of “lasting peace agreements”.
The statements were made on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, following his speech, and signal a further hardening of Russia’s stance on the possibility of direct political negotiation at the highest level.
Earlier it was known that the Russian president had been informed about the content of Zelensky’s open letter and as his close associates had reported to the media, he was personally evaluating it and when this process is completed he will respond. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov even hinted that the answer may come during Putin’s speech at the Forum.
Putin is avoiding the subject of the letter for now
At the moment, however, the president of Russia has not made any reference to the issue. Vladimir Putin has launched a scathing attack on “European elites”, accusing them of fueling instability and helping to create new hotbeds of international tension.
The Russian president argued that the policy followed by the European Union is characterized by a lack of strategic perspective and affects both Europe’s economic position and international security. As he mentioned, the developments in the energy markets and the escalation of crises in various regions of the world, with the Middle East as a typical example, are connected to the choices of the European leadership.
“The aggressive rhetoric and politics of the European bureaucracy lead to a further weakening of Europe’s position in the global economy and at the same time undermine regional and international security,” he argued.
Putin also referred to frozen Russian assets in the West, calling it a “theft” that he said has shaken confidence in the dollar and euro as international reserve currencies.
In the economic part of his speech, the Russian president underlined that the BRICS countries now play a leading role in global development. According to the figures he cited, the bloc’s states are responsible for 49% of global GDP growth over the past five years, compared to 18% corresponding to the G7 countries.
At the same time, he noted that about 65% of Russian export transactions are now carried out in rubles, presenting the fact as a sign of strengthening the use of the hryvnia in foreign trade.
Referring to the course of the Russian economy, he estimated that inflation continues to decelerate and will be close to 5.2% in 2025, although he warned that the fiscal deficit may widen during the year.
What Zelensky mentioned in his letter
In his letter, the Ukrainian president directly invited Putin to an immediate meeting, with the aim of ending the war, while he suggested neutral countries such as Switzerland, Turkey or states of the Arab world, excluding Moscow and Kiev, as a possible venue.
Zelensky argued that the continuation of the conflict has already moved operations deep into Russian territory, citing recent long-range drone attacks (with the latest incident in St. Petersburg at the start of the Forum), while citing significant Russian casualties and social pressure inside Russia due to economic and energy difficulties.
At the same time, he set as conditions for the start of talks a ceasefire, the exchange of prisoners and the return of displaced civilians, with the participation of international guarantors such as the USA and the European Union.
More specifically, there are two points in the letter that attract the attention of the media. In the first, Zelensky states: “We see that the United States is fully focused on the issue of Iran, and it would be a mistake to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the center of their attention. Ukraine proposes to end this war through direct dialogue between us and you. I suggest we meet.”
In the second he argues that if Russia chooses to continue the war, Ukraine will continue to fight for its own survival. At the same time, he argues that Vladimir Putin is now in a more vulnerable position inside Russia and hints that his refusal to seek a diplomatic solution could further strain his position.
The above is not the first time that Zelensky has said it, but it is the first time that they are included in a letter and it is also the first time that they are presented together, just a few hours after Vladimir Putin’s relatively intransigent statements.
Putin’s “wick”.
It is noted that a few hours before the letter, Putin, at a press conference in St. Petersburg, had repeated that Russia remains “open to a peace agreement”, stressing, however, that mutual compromises are also required from Kiev.
The Russian president said that Russian forces were continuing their advance and that Ukraine was facing serious shortages in manpower and weapons. At the same time, he spoke of Moscow’s territorial gains, claiming that Russian forces now fully control Luhansk, much of Donetsk and a significant part of Zaporizhia.
Referring to the war, he noted that Russia has sufficient resources to achieve its military goals, while he did not rule out further escalation in the field, as part of operational plans.
At the diplomatic level, Putin again suggested former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, whom he described as a “reliable politician”, as a possible mediator.
Intervention by the EU
In this context, the European Union also intervened in the public debate and commenting on the developments through the representative of the European Commission for foreign policy matters, Anita Hipper. According to Hipper: “We welcome President Zelensky’s call for direct negotiations and the call for a ceasefire. From our side, looking at the facts, what we see is that Ukraine wants peace, Europe wants peace.” As he noted, this is “another appeal to Russia to end its illegal war of aggression.” He said the Ukrainian side continues to demonstrate its will for meaningful negotiations and an unconditional ceasefire – a proposal it has long accepted.
At the same time, the representative of the Commission argued that the reality in the field of conflicts contradicts Russia’s original goals. “Putin expected to take Kiev in just three days. We are now heading into the fifth year of illegal Russian aggression. If you look at what Russia has achieved, it’s not very much,” he commented, saying that “the reality on the ground is in stark contrast to what Putin claims.”
Asked about reports that the E3 countries – the UK, Germany and France – are working on a plan for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Commission spokeswoman declined to comment on specific scenarios. “For our part, we support peace in any form. We will not position ourselves at this time as to who should assume the role of mediator. We focus on our own position, on our requests and on our priorities”, he said, referring also to the recent positions of the EU High Representative during the informal meeting held in Cyprus.
