Zelenskyy Proposes Face-to-Face Talks with Putin, Says Strikes on Russia Create “Equal Footing” for Negotiations

KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued an open letter to Russian leader Vladimir Putin proposing a face-to-face meeting, stating that Ukraine is ready for a “full ceasefire” during negotiations. The appeal, published Thursday on the Ukrainian presidency’s website, marks one of the few times Zelenskyy has directly addressed Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

“Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us and you. I am proposing a meeting,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations.” He also proposed an “all-for-all” exchange of prisoners of war, describing it as a “good prologue to ending the war.”

There was no immediate comment from Putin, who was concluding a meeting with foreign journalists in Saint Petersburg when the letter was released. The Russian leader has previously suggested he would only meet Zelenskyy once a peace agreement was already prepared a condition Kyiv has long rejected.

Talks Stalled as Territorial Disputes Persist

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have been stalled for months. Previous rounds of dialogue in Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, and Geneva failed to produce a breakthrough on the core issue of post-war territorial control, particularly in the eastern Donbas region. Russia has demanded that Ukraine withdraw troops from areas still under Kyiv’s control there, while Ukraine insists on the full restoration of its territorial integrity.

The diplomatic deadlock has been further complicated by international distractions. US-led efforts remain effectively frozen amid Washington’s focus on the war in Iran, leaving Kyiv to pursue direct bilateral engagement with Moscow.

Strikes Deep Inside Russia Reshape Dynamics

In a separate briefing alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv, Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine’s intensified long-range strikes on Russian territory have fundamentally altered the balance of power, enabling Kyiv to negotiate as an equal.

“Thank God that today we have security guarantees that allow us to end this war on an equal footing with the Russians in any format of diplomacy,” Zelenskyy told reporters.

For months, Ukrainian forces have been conducting near-daily drone and missile attacks on Russian fossil fuel infrastructure, including oil terminals and naval bases hundreds of kilometers from the border. These strikes aim to disrupt Moscow’s primary source of war funding and pressure the Kremlin into serious negotiations. Some Russian refineries have been forced to suspend operations, while the attacks have boosted morale among Ukrainians, who have endured more than four years of constant Russian drone and missile threats.

Zelenskyy said it was “only a question of time” before Ukraine scales up such strikes further.

Battlefield Gains Strengthen Kyiv’s Hand

Analysts note that as Ukraine has ramped up long-range attacks, its troops on the front lines appear to be in their strongest position in years. Russia’s spring offensive is sputtering, partly due to Ukrainian counterattacks that have limited Russian territorial gains to a minimum.

“I am ready for direct talks with Putin to bring this war to an end, rather than waiting for when all will resolve every conflict in the world before our turn finally comes,” Zelenskyy said, alluding to the prolonged US-brokered peace process and Washington’s current military and diplomatic focus on Iran.

Zelenskyy has long insisted that only direct, face-to-face talks can resolve the war’s central stumbling blocks, including the status of the Donbas. While Putin has remained publicly resistant, the Ukrainian leader’s latest letter combined with Kyiv’s growing military leverage suggests a renewed push to break the diplomatic deadlock. Whether the Kremlin will respond remains uncertain.

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