Putin Dismisses Zelenskyy Letter Claiming “No Point in Direct Talks”

Russian leader Vladimir Putin stated that he has read a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but currently “sees no point” in a direct meeting between the two leaders, according to Russian media reports cited by Babel on June 5.

Putin insisted that the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine must be concluded before any such summit can take place. He also criticized the tone of the correspondence, claiming that Zelenskyy’s letter contained “elements of rudeness.”

He also stated that Ukraine wants a meeting only to halt the advance of Russian forces. “Keep working, brothers,” Putin said, addressing Russian troops.

Russian leader—who has maintained his grip on power for more than 25 years—advised Zelenskyy “not to be afraid to go to elections, rather than usurping power,” Babel noted.

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War in Ukraine

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously published an open letter to Vladimir Putin, formally proposing a direct meeting in a neutral country, a comprehensive ceasefire monitored by the United States, and an all-for-all prisoner exchange. In the text, Zelenskyy directly confronted the Russian leader over the war being his “personal choice,” highlighting that Russian military losses in May alone exceeded 30,000 casualties.

He also explicitly warned the Kremlin that recent Ukrainian long-range drone strikes hitting over 1,000 kilometers away near St. Petersburg are not the limit of Kyiv’s tactical capabilities.

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