Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a neutral country, saying the two leaders should seek a way to end more than four years of war.
The appeal came in an open letter published on Thursday, shortly after Putin said Russia was ready for a peace settlement based on “mutual compromises,” while maintaining a hard line on Moscow’s military objectives in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Zelensky proposed that the two leaders meet outside both Moscow and Kyiv, naming Switzerland, Turkey or countries in the Arab world as possible venues. He said Ukraine was prepared to agree to a full cease-fire during negotiations, as well as an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange and the return of civilians and children taken from Ukraine.
The letter marked an unusually direct public appeal from Zelensky to Putin. It also reflected Kyiv’s concern that the war could drag on as international attention shifts to other crises, including the conflict involving Iran and the United States.
Zelensky argued that recent Ukrainian long-range strikes inside Russia have changed the balance of the war and strengthened Kyiv’s position at the negotiating table. Reuters reported this week that Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian energy and military targets, including strikes near St. Petersburg, as part of an effort to pressure Moscow and weaken one of the Kremlin’s main sources of war funding.
In his letter, Zelensky also pointed to Russia’s mounting military and economic pressures, including high battlefield losses, increased reliance on North Korea for military support and deepening dependence on China. These claims are central to Kyiv’s message that Moscow cannot assume time is on its side.
The Ukrainian leader said any settlement would require credible security guarantees involving the United States and Europe. That demand reflects a core Ukrainian concern: that any cease-fire or peace agreement must prevent Russia from regrouping and launching another attack.
The proposal comes as previous rounds of diplomacy have failed to produce a breakthrough. Ukraine and Russia have held limited talks focused largely on humanitarian issues, including prisoner exchanges, but remain far apart on the central questions of territory, security guarantees and the terms of a cease-fire.
Moscow has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine accept Russian control over occupied territory, a condition Kyiv rejects. Ukraine says it will not agree to a settlement that legitimizes Russia’s invasion or rewards territorial conquest.
Zelensky’s message ended with a warning that if Russia rejects diplomacy, Ukraine will continue fighting with the backing of its allies. The letter was therefore both an offer of direct negotiations and a statement of intent: Kyiv is prepared to talk, but not to surrender.
