Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he had read an open letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and responded to several points raised in it, including references to his age, years in power and the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Putin said he had reviewed the letter on the morning of June 5.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. According to Putin, one of the issues raised in the letter was his age. “Of course, everyone should think about age, but it seems to me that at my age many other political figures are carrying out their duties, and some are older than me. The main thing is not age. It is important, of course, but the main thing is capability and efficiency,” he said, according to RBC-Ukraine. Putin also said he was affected by Zelensky’s reference to the length of time he has been in power. “This is an important question, but one must go to elections. One should not be afraid of elections and should always act within the framework of the basic law. Because if one retains power outside the constitution, this is called usurpation of power; it is a criminal offense,” Putin said. Ukraine has not held presidential elections since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Under Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held while martial law is in effect. Ukrainian officials have also argued that organizing a nationwide vote during wartime would be impractical due to ongoing security risks, the presence of millions of refugees abroad, Russian occupation of parts of the country, and the challenge of ensuring participation for military personnel serving on the front lines.