On the evening of June 4, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky published an open letter to Putin — the first direct public address in this format in almost five years of full-scale war. The letter came out two days after Kremlin spokesperson Peskov claimed that Russia could "end the war by end of day" if Ukraine withdrew troops from Donbas.
What's in the letter
Zelensky proposed a personal meeting with Putin in a neutral country — Switzerland, Turkey, or one of the Arab states. He also stated Ukraine's readiness for a complete ceasefire during negotiations and a prisoner exchange under the formula of "all for all."
"Ukraine proposes to end this war. It must be done honestly, with dignity, and ensure that there will be no new outbreak of war."
— Volodymyr Zelensky, open letter to Putin, June 4, 2025
A separate section of the letter contains intelligence data. According to Zelensky, Ukrainian intelligence has information that the Kremlin is already considering plans to continue the war in 2027–2028, plans to deepen involvement of Belarus, and "is playing some game with Transnistria."
The structure of the proposal is two-stage: first — bilateral format Kyiv-Moscow, then — involving the USA and European countries as potential guarantors of agreements.
What's not in the letter
The letter contains no ceasefire verification mechanism, does not establish who and how will monitor compliance with the truce, and does not define what exactly will be discussed at the meeting. This is a proposal to meet — not a draft agreement.
Reaction of parties
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha reported that the letter was officially delivered through diplomatic channels and that Kyiv expects a "substantive response." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated only that they have reviewed the letter and "Putin will be briefed on it later" — without any assessment on the merits.
In parallel, Putin at a press conference indicated: he is not refusing a meeting, but names Moscow exclusively as the venue. "Let the one who proposes come," Reuters quotes Putin's words. For Zelensky, whose legitimacy the Kremlin officially does not recognize, a trip to Moscow is not a diplomatic option but capitulation in the symbolic dimension.
- Kyiv proposes: neutral country, ceasefire during negotiations, "all for all," international guarantees at the second stage
- Moscow responds: only Moscow, without preconditions, Zelensky "himself asked for a meeting"
- Execution mechanism: not prescribed by either side
Context: why now
The letter came out against the backdrop of several parallel processes: Washington's pressure on both sides regarding negotiations, massive Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure in early June, and Zelensky's meetings with leaders of France, Britain, and Poland in Kyiv. The open format of the letter is addressed not only to Putin — it is addressed to allies and a global audience: Kyiv publicly established that the initiative for peace belongs to Ukraine.
The question remains concrete: if Moscow responds with a refusal or another "come to Moscow" — will Kyiv have a next step, or does the letter exhaust the diplomatic resources of this round?
