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

EXPLAINERRussia and Ukraine have been holding peace talks since the war began in 2022, but with no concrete outcome.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives for the International Four Freedoms Award ceremony in Middelburg, Netherlands [File: Peter Dejong/AP]Published On 5 Jun 2026Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written an open letter to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and proposed a meeting to discuss ending Moscow’s four-year war on Kyiv.The letter, which was published in full on the Ukrainian president’s website on Thursday and sent via diplomatic channels to Russia as well as countries including the United States, comes as Russia’s war on Ukraine continues to rage into its fifth year.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Could Russia hit northern Europe if it gained control of Arctic’s Bear Gap?list 2 of 3Russia launches massive overnight attack on Ukrainelist 3 of 3Ukraine drone attack kills 8 in Russian-held territory in new escalationend of listOn Thursday, at least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine, according to Ukrainian authorities. Zelenskyy also commemorated at least 707 children killed by Russian attacks during the two countries’ more than four-year-long war.Meanwhile, in Russian-occupied Ukraine, at least four people were killed in Ukrainian drone attacks on Thursday. Ukraine also struck an oil complex and naval base in St Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday.Russia and Ukraine have been holding indirect peace talks since the war began in February 2022, but with little or no concrete outcomes. US President Donald Trump has also met both Putin and Zelenskyy, seeking to bring them to the negotiating table to discuss ending the war, but so far, his efforts have not borne fruit.Will Zelenskyy’s open letter to Putin open a new path to a ceasefire?Here’s what we know:What did Zelenskyy say in his letter?In his letter, Zelenskyy told Putin that he has spent nearly half of his 26 years in power in Russia “waging war against Ukraine” and said Russians are now growing increasingly tired of Ukrainian missiles and drone attacks, inflation and fuel shortages.“We can all see that Russians are finally becoming less comfortable with this reality – with the fact that the war is bringing more and more negative consequences to Russia,” he wrote.He also told Putin that a prolonged war could threaten the Russian president’s personal position. “It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: When Russia grows tired, change comes,” he said.“After 26 years in power, age is beginning to take its toll. And with time, the fatigue with you will only grow,” he added.Zelenskyy also wrote that while he and the Ukrainian people are less concerned about the loss of Russian lives on the battlefield, every loss of a Ukrainian counts. “Even when the ratio of Ukrainian losses to Russian losses is one to five or one to six, it still matters greatly.“We in Ukraine do not want a permanent war. We know very well that life without war is infinitely better. And we want to achieve that,” he said.Zelenskyy noted that with the US focused on its war on Iran, “it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the centre of its attention,” and suggested a path to peace.“Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now.“Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us – and you. I am proposing a meeting… If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence,” he added.Regarding the location of the meeting, Zelenskyy said: “There are countries that have traditionally hosted leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Turkiye, the countries of the Arab world – many are able and willing to host such a meeting.“We believe Europe should be part of this process – those who truly have the capacity to influence the situation. We also believe that the United States must be part of the process. This is what could help shape a new security architecture for our part of the world,” he added.Writing on X, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the letter as “a serious and meaningful proposal to end the war … with clear, doable steps and an invitation for a personal meeting”.“We expect a meaningful response to this proposal. It’s time to end this war. It’s time to choose peace.”Why is this letter significant?Markus Ziener, a senior visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States Berlin office, told Al Jazeera that making the letter public forces Russia to openly show its hand while proving to the world that Ukraine is ready for diplomacy.“It places the moral high ground and the pressure to respond entirely on the Kremlin,” he said.He noted, however, that this is not the first time Zelenskyy has reached out to Putin.“Most recently on May 11, 2025, he publicly and explicitly announced that he was ready to travel to Turkey to meet Putin in person for face-to-face talks,” he said.Zelenskyy’s new proposal shows that the Ukrainian president “feels emboldened by the successful military pushbacks against the Russian army on the battlefield, including successfully targeting Russian infrastructure far in Russian mainland”, Ziener said.“The Ukrainian president believes that, currently, the momentum is on his side and therefore it is good moment [to] offering talks.”Has Putin accepted Zelenskyy’s proposal?The Russian president’s spokesman told reporters in Russia that Putin was aware of Zelenskyy’s letter but had not yet been briefed about its content in detail.But at Russia’s showcase annual economic forum in St Petersburg on Thursday, Putin said his troops were continuing to advance in Ukraine.“The offensive is ongoing on a daily basis. At present, the Russian Federation has taken full control of the Luhansk People’s Republic – 100 percent. And Russia has brought more than 85 percent of the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic under its control. (And) 80 percent of the territory of the Zaporizhzhia region,” he said, referring to three of the four regions in Ukraine which Moscow has claimed as its own since 2022.“Naturally, under these circumstances, the Ukrainian side would like us to halt the advance. But rather than stopping that, it would be better to bring the war to an end altogether by agreeing to the compromises that were discussed in Anchorage,” he said, referring to a summit he held in Alaska with Trump, which ended without any agreement, in August 2025.In his letter to Putin, Zelenksyy wrote that Ukraine had heard that Russia “promised in Alaska the resolution of certain issues concerning Ukraine and Europe”, but added that issues on Ukraine and Europe could not be decided in Anchorage.“Since the war is taking place in Europe, and since Ukraine needs security guarantees, while you [Putin] also seek security guarantees for yourself, it would be logical to involve those who can genuinely serve as guarantors,” Zelenskyy said.While it is unknown if Putin will accept Zelenskyy’s proposal, he told the conference in St Petersburg: “We are certainly prepared and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine through peaceful means. Specifically, on the basis we discussed during our meeting with President Trump in Anchorage.“As for what we might say to one another if we were to reach the end of the conflict, at the very least we could – and indeed should say, ‘Thank goodness it’s all over,'” he added.So far, Putin has only agreed to meet Zelenskyy in Moscow or a third country, once a peace agreement is finalised.Ziener said it is highly unlikely that Putin will agree to Zelenskyy’s latest proposal while Russia is militarily under pressure, as agreeing to direct talks could be seen as a weakness on the part of the Kremlin.