Zelenskyy asks Putin for meeting: What’s he offering, could Russia accept?

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written an unfastened missive to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and projected a gathering to sermon ending Moscow’s four-year warfare connected Kyiv.

The letter, which was published successful afloat connected the Ukrainian president’s website connected Thursday and sent via diplomatic channels to Russia arsenic good arsenic countries including the United States, comes arsenic Russia’s warfare connected Ukraine continues to rage into its 5th year.

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On Thursday, astatine slightest 12 radical were killed and dozens injured successful Russian attacks crossed Ukraine, according to Ukrainian authorities. Zelenskyy besides commemorated astatine slightest 707 children killed by Russian attacks during the 2 countries’ much than four-year-long war.

Meanwhile, successful Russian-occupied Ukraine, astatine slightest 4 radical were killed successful Ukrainian drone attacks connected Thursday. Ukraine besides struck an lipid analyzable and naval basal successful St Petersburg, Russia, connected Wednesday.

Russia and Ukraine person been holding indirect peace talks since the warfare began successful February 2022, but with small oregon nary factual outcomes. US President Donald Trump has besides met some Putin and Zelenskyy, seeking to bring them to the negotiating array to sermon ending the war, but truthful far, his efforts person not borne fruit.

Will Zelenskyy’s unfastened missive to Putin unfastened a caller way to a ceasefire?

Here’s what we know:

What did Zelenskyy accidental successful his letter?

In his letter, Zelenskyy told Putin that helium has spent astir fractional of his 26 years successful powerfulness successful Russia “waging warfare against Ukraine” and said Russians are present increasing progressively bushed of Ukrainian missiles and drone attacks, ostentation and substance shortages.

“We tin each spot that Russians are yet becoming little comfy with this world – with the information that the warfare is bringing much and much antagonistic consequences to Russia,” helium wrote.

He besides told Putin that a prolonged warfare could endanger the Russian president’s idiosyncratic position. “It is simply a information of Russian past that you cognize well: When Russia grows tired, alteration comes,” helium said.

“After 26 years successful power, property is opening to instrumentality its toll. And with time, the fatigue with you volition lone grow,” helium added.

Zelenskyy besides wrote that portion helium and the Ukrainian radical are little acrophobic astir the nonaccomplishment of Russian lives connected the battlefield, each nonaccomplishment of a Ukrainian counts. “Even erstwhile the ratio of Ukrainian losses to Russian losses is 1 to 5 oregon 1 to six, it inactive matters greatly.

“We successful Ukraine bash not privation a imperishable war. We cognize precise good that beingness without warfare is infinitely better. And we privation to execute that,” helium said.

Zelenskyy noted that with the US focused connected its warfare connected Iran, “it would beryllium incorrect to simply hold until the warfare successful Europe returns to the centre of its attention,” and suggested a way to peace.

“Do not beryllium acrophobic to instrumentality the way retired of this war. That is the main happening that is required of you now.

“Ukraine proposes ending this warfare done nonstop engagement betwixt america – and you. I americium proposing a meeting… If you bash not personally travel to the decision that it is clip to extremity this war, Ukraine volition proceed warring for its existence,” helium added.

Regarding the determination of the meeting, Zelenskyy said: “There are countries that person traditionally hosted leaders to resoluteness issues of warfare and peace. Switzerland, Turkiye, the countries of the Arab satellite – galore are capable and consenting to big specified a meeting.

“We judge Europe should beryllium portion of this process – those who genuinely person the capableness to power the situation. We besides judge that the United States indispensable beryllium portion of the process. This is what could assistance signifier a caller information architecture for our portion of the world,” helium added.

Writing connected X, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the missive arsenic “a superior and meaningful connection to extremity the warfare … with clear, doable steps and an invitation for a idiosyncratic meeting”.

“We expect a meaningful effect to this proposal. It’s clip to extremity this war. It’s clip to take peace.”

Why is this missive significant?

Markus Ziener, a elder visiting chap astatine the German Marshall Fund of the United States Berlin office, told Al Jazeera that making the missive nationalist forces Russia to openly amusement its manus portion proving to the satellite that Ukraine is acceptable for diplomacy.

“It places the motivation precocious crushed and the unit to respond wholly connected the Kremlin,” helium said.

He noted, however, that this is not the archetypal clip Zelenskyy has reached retired to Putin.

“Most precocious connected May 11, 2025, helium publically and explicitly announced that helium was acceptable to question to Turkey to conscionable Putin successful idiosyncratic for face-to-face talks,” helium said.

Zelenskyy’s caller connection shows that the Ukrainian president “feels emboldened by the successful subject pushbacks against the Russian service connected the battlefield, including successfully targeting Russian infrastructure acold successful Russian mainland”, Ziener said.

“The Ukrainian president believes that, currently, the momentum is connected his broadside and truthful it is bully infinitesimal [to] offering talks.”

Has Putin accepted Zelenskyy’s proposal?

The Russian president’s spokesperson told reporters successful Russia that Putin was alert of Zelenskyy’s missive but had not yet been briefed astir its contented successful detail.

But astatine Russia’s showcase yearly economical forum successful St Petersburg connected Thursday, Putin said his troops were continuing to beforehand successful Ukraine.

“The violative is ongoing connected a regular basis. At present, the Russian Federation has taken afloat power of the Luhansk People’s Republic – 100 percent. And Russia has brought much than 85 percent of the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic nether its control. (And) 80 percent of the territory of the Zaporizhzhia region,” helium said, referring to 3 of the 4 regions successful Ukraine which Moscow has claimed arsenic its ain since 2022.

“Naturally, nether these circumstances, the Ukrainian broadside would similar america to halt the advance. But alternatively than stopping that, it would beryllium amended to bring the warfare to an extremity altogether by agreeing to the compromises that were discussed successful Anchorage,” helium said, referring to a summit helium held successful Alaska with Trump, which ended without immoderate agreement, successful August 2025.

In his missive to Putin, Zelenksyy wrote that Ukraine had heard that Russia “promised successful Alaska the solution of definite issues concerning Ukraine and Europe”, but added that issues connected Ukraine and Europe could not beryllium decided successful Anchorage.

“Since the warfare is taking spot successful Europe, and since Ukraine needs information guarantees, portion you [Putin] besides question information guarantees for yourself, it would beryllium logical to impact those who tin genuinely service arsenic guarantors,” Zelenskyy said.

While it is chartless if Putin volition judge Zelenskyy’s proposal, helium told the league successful St Petersburg: “We are surely prepared and consenting to scope an statement with Ukraine done peaceful means. Specifically, connected the ground we discussed during our gathering with President Trump successful Anchorage.

“As for what we mightiness accidental to 1 different if we were to scope the extremity of the conflict, astatine the precise slightest we could – and so should say, ‘Thank goodness it’s each over,'” helium added.

So far, Putin has lone agreed to conscionable Zelenskyy successful Moscow oregon a 3rd country, erstwhile a bid statement is finalised.

Ziener said it is highly improbable that Putin volition hold to Zelenskyy’s latest connection portion Russia is militarily nether pressure, arsenic agreeing to nonstop talks could beryllium seen arsenic a weakness connected the portion of the Kremlin.

“Furthermore, gathering Zelenskyy arsenic an adjacent would undermine years of Kremlin propaganda aimed astatine delegitimising the Ukrainian president,” helium said.

(Al Jazeera)

Will the US and Europe play a bigger relation now?

Since Trump became president of the US for the 2nd clip successful January 2025, helium has been promising to extremity Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine.

He has met some Russia’s President Putin and Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy successful abstracted meetings to sermon ending the war, but truthful far, these efforts person not borne fruit.

Truce talks person mostly stalled owed to Russia’s insistence connected keeping territory it has seized from Ukraine. Ukraine has stated that it is not prepared to cede immoderate territory.

On May 22, US State Secretary Marco Rubio said that portion trilateral talks had been unsuccessful, the US was acceptable to organise a caller circular of bid talks.

Zeiner noted that portion Trump is signalling enactment for the inaugural by Zelenskyy, a cardinal question remains connected whether that really means determination volition beryllium US enactment for Ukraine.

“Of people Trump wants the warfare to end. But helium is truthful consumed by the warfare with Iran that helium whitethorn not beryllium consenting to prosecute much successful Ukraine. Europe decidedly supports Zelenskyy’s move,” helium said.

European leaders, who person been mostly sidelined successful bid talks since Trump returned to the US presidency past year, person repeatedly called for ceasefire talks betwixt Russia and Ukraine since the warfare began successful 2022.

In May this year, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks successful Kyiv, successful a amusement of unity a time aft Russia’s Vladimir Putin hosted his allies astatine a Victory Day parade successful Red Square.

On Wednesday, a German authoritative told the Reuters quality bureau that a model for dialog is dilatory opening betwixt Russia and Europe connected Ukraine, though it is apt to beryllium months earlier talks could ‌begin.

While it is unclear who volition pb these talks, the German authoritative told Reuters determination are beardown indications that Germany, France and the UK volition play an important role.

On Thursday, Putin rejected European leaders’ engagement successful truce talks.

“How tin the EU oregon idiosyncratic EU countries service arsenic mediators erstwhile they are straight assisting the state with which we are successful an equipped conflict?” helium questioned journalists successful St Petersburg.

“Mediation implies neutrality,” helium added.