Zelenskyy issues open letter to Putin proposing meeting as US 'fully focused' on Iran

close Video Inside Lviv: Ukraine’s ‘Unbroken City’ Fox News Digital reports from Lviv, where military funerals, civilian weapons training and beauty pageants coexist as residents struggle to preserve normal life four years into Russia’s war against Ukraine. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Hören Sie sich diesen Artikel an 2 Min In an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed meeting to reach a resolution to the years-long war between their two nations. "We see that the United States is fully focused on the issue of Iran, and it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the center of its attention. Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting," Zelenskyy said in the letter. "There are countries that have traditionally hosted leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Türkiye, the countries of the Arab world — many are able and willing to host such a meeting. It is leaders who resolve the key issues. That has always been the case, and it always will be," he asserted. 18 HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEFY TRUMP TO PASS Ukraine AID PACKAGE HEADED FOR VETO FIGHT Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not seen) hold a joint press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 3, 2026. (Danylo Antoniuk/Anadolu via Getty Images) Zelenskyy suggested that Europe and the U.S. should also be involved in the peace process. "Since the war is taking place in Europe, and since Ukraine needs security guarantees, while you also seek security guarantees for yourself, it would be logical to involve those who can genuinely serve as guarantors. 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 said. HOUSE REPUBLICAN DON BACON SAYS HE WANTS 'PARIAH STATE' Russia BOOTED FROM UN SECURITY COUNCIL In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Presidential Council for the Implementation of State Policy on the Promotion of the Russian Language and the Languages of the Peoples of Russia via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 2, 2026. (Vyacheslav PROKOFYEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) He indicated that Ukraine would agree to a ceasefire during the proposed negotiations. "Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations. This is standard practice, and current developments around Iran only reinforce that point. An attempt to establish real silence is the best way to begin talking to one another. We believe it would not simply be an attempt, but a real ceasefire — if that is what you want," he noted. He also suggested a prisoner swap between the two nations, noting, "Ukraine is ready for an all-for-all exchange of prisoners of war, and this could become a good prologue to ending the war. Serious steps must be taken to return civilians and children who were taken away during the war." PENTAGON SLASHES NATO COMBAT COMMITMENTS AS TRUMP PUSHES Europe TO DEFEND ITSELF President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands at a news conference following a meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) "If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence. We will have those who support us. But you, too, will have to fight much harder for your own existence — not Russia’s, but your own. And this is not a threat from me or from Ukraine. It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: when Russia grows tired, change comes," Zelenskyy warned Putin.