Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has published an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling on him to end the war and proposing a personal meeting. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire during negotiations and a prisoner exchange under the “all for all” formula.
The letter was published on the website of the President of Ukraine.
In the letter, Zelenskyy said the war against Ukraine was Putin’s personal choice and that history would remember it as “a war without a real cause.”
The Ukrainian president stressed that Ukraine does not want a permanent war and seeks a just peace.
“Do not be afraid to leave the war — that is the main thing required from you now,” Zelenskyy wrote.
He said Ukraine had preserved its independence and secured international support, financing, and weapons, while Russia had faced sanctions and growing economic difficulties.
Zelenskyy also referred to recent long-range Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia and noted that their range was not the limit of Ukraine’s capabilities.
The president further claimed that Russia continues to suffer heavy battlefield losses. According to him, Russian forces lost more than 30,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded in May alone.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence had information indicating that Russia was considering plans to continue the war into 2027 and 2028, as well as possible efforts to expand military activity involving Belarus and other regions.
At the same time, the Ukrainian leader proposed launching a direct negotiation track between Kyiv and Moscow with the participation of international partners.
“I propose a meeting. It is leaders who resolve key issues — this has always been the case and always will be,” Zelenskyy wrote.
He suggested that such a meeting could take place in Switzerland, Turkey, or one of the Arab states.
Zelenskyy also supported the participation of the European Union and the United States in the peace process as potential security guarantors.
Among the first steps toward peace, he listed a complete ceasefire during negotiations, an “all for all” prisoner exchange, and the return of civilians and children taken away during the war.
In the closing part of the letter, Zelenskyy stressed that if Russia refuses to end the war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence with the support of its international partners.
“You can stop your war,” Zelenskyy concluded.
