Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Alexander Kazakov & Tetiana Dzhafarova / Sputnik / AFP / Lehtikuva
International news
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him face to face and begin direct negotiations to end the war, issuing an open letter that combines a ceasefire proposal with a personal appeal to the Kremlin leader.
The letter, published on Wednesday evening, marks the first time Zelensky has used an open letter to address Putin directly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In the message, Zelensky proposed an immediate ceasefire for the duration of negotiations and called for a meeting between the two leaders in a neutral country. He suggested Switzerland, Turkey or Arab states as possible venues and urged Putin to agree to a specific date.
