Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “simply does not want to end the war,” describing the Kremlin’s response to his proposal for a direct meeting as “weak.” “Unfortunately, the Russian side once again chooses war – everyone heard the response today. Weak response,” Zelensky said in a post on Telegram. “He simply does not want to end the war. I think many around the world were disappointed by that response.”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Zelensky’s remarks came after Putin publicly responded to the Ukrainian leader’s open letter, in which he proposed a face-to-face meeting aimed at ending Russia’s full-scale invasion and achieving a ceasefire. Zelensky’s letter, published late on Thursday, came amid Putin’s meeting with senior editors of major news agencies in the Constantine Palace during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Although Putin said he had never refused talks, he questioned the purpose of the meeting, arguing it “would be pointless” and “primarily benefit Ukraine.” Zelensky proposed a summit hosted by a neutral state such as Switzerland, Turkiye or an Arab country, involving key European actors and the US as potential security guarantors, but Putin rejected the offer and refused to meet. “He does not want to change anything,” Zelensky said about Putin, “and he does not want to admit that this war appeals only to him – and to those who are making money off him. They were all smiling very broadly today.”