While Washington was preoccupied with Iran, Kyiv made a move that is hard to ignore: on June 4, President Zelensky published an open letter to Putin — proposing a complete ceasefire, direct negotiations, and a personal meeting on neutral territory. According to Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, this is not a declaration of intent, but a serious proposal that will be transmitted through official diplomatic channels.
What exactly Kyiv is proposing
In the letter, Zelensky outlined four conditions: a complete ceasefire during negotiations, American monitoring of the silence regime, prisoner exchange on an "all-for-all" basis, and the return of civilians and deported children. The format of negotiations is bilateral, without "technical groups and shuttle diplomacy," which turned Minsk into a prolonged illusion.
"The front line now is the line from which diplomacy must begin."
Volodymyr Zelensky, open letter to Putin, June 4, 2025
Zelensky also listed Russia's internal problems — shortage of goods, rising prices, losses of over 30,000 killed and wounded per month, dependence on China, and exhaustion of resources to maintain loyalty. Separately — a personal argument: "After 26 years, age began to take its toll." The New York Times called the letter a combination of a peace initiative and sharp criticism of its recipient.
Kremlin's reaction: diplomacy of delay
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the letter "was seen in the Kremlin," but Putin will be "informed about it later." At the same time, Peskov claimed that there are currently no official communication channels between Russia and Ukraine — and rejected the proposal for a meeting on neutral territory, voicing the old position: if Zelensky wants negotiations, let him come to Moscow. In other words, the Kremlin received the letter, is familiar with its content — and pretends it didn't.
Why now and who else is the recipient
Shortly before the publication, Zelensky directly stated: Ukraine is no longer a priority for the United States, which is preoccupied with Iran. So instead of waiting "in line" — a public gesture that forces Washington to respond. Analysts cited by "Glavkom" do not rule out that the real recipient of the letter was Trump, not Putin: Zelensky reminded the American president of his own role as a mediator at a moment when he risked losing it.
Trump responded favorably — stating that he was "pleased that the parties are discussing a meeting" and that the US "did much" for it. Sybiha in a telethon commentary emphasized that Ukraine is demonstrating readiness for peace from "the strongest positions on the battlefield in the last year" — meaning diplomacy is not coming from a position of weakness.
- Kyiv proposes: ceasefire + negotiations without intermediary buffers
- Kremlin responded: with delay and old rhetoric about "come to Moscow"
- Washington: favorably, but without specific commitments
The key point: the letter was transmitted through diplomatic channels officially — meaning Russia will no longer be able to claim it never received any proposals. This closes one of the Kremlin's favorite excuses.
If Putin ignores the letter or responds with rhetoric about "come to Moscow" — will the United States recognize this as sufficient grounds to increase pressure on Moscow, or will they once again announce that "negotiations continue"?
