Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an open letter today proposing direct, in-person negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and offering a full ceasefire for the length of any discussions aimed at ending the conflict now in its fifth year.
"Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations," Zelenskyy wrote in the letter. "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."
In the same letter, the Ukrainian leader suggested meeting in a neutral location, naming Switzerland, Türkiye, or countries in the Arab world as possible venues. He argued that decisive issues must be addressed directly by the heads of state.
Zelenskyy also referenced a report provided to Ukrainian authorities indicating that Russian army losses exceeded 30,000 soldiers killed and seriously wounded during May — a level he said has been sustained month after month. He presented a breakdown of those figures, saying 63 percent of Russian battlefield casualties were killed and 37 percent were wounded. Zelenskyy added that the ratio of Ukrainian losses to Russian losses stood at one to five or one to six.
In a separate development, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the idea that European leaders could act as mediators. Speaking with foreign media in St. Petersburg today, Putin asked, "How can the European Union or individual EU countries serve as mediators when they are directly assisting the country with which we are in an armed conflict?"
Putin also reiterated an assertion that he had reached an agreement with President Trump on a peace deal at their summit in Anchorage in August 2025. According to his remarks, that understanding would require Kyiv to cede the entirety of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, including portions his forces have been unable to capture since 2014.
Meanwhile, officials from Germany, France and the UK have reportedly been in discussions about the possibility of arranging talks that would include both Russia and Ukraine, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter. The same reporting indicated that US-led efforts to convene talks have stalled, with President Trump focused on the war with Iran.
The proposals and rebuttals outlined by the respective leaders underscore divergent views on mediation, terms and the path toward negotiations. Zelenskyy has put forward a conditional offer of a ceasefire tied directly to the conduct of talks between the two presidents, while the Kremlin has questioned the neutrality of potential European intermediaries and reaffirmed its demands.