Zelensky proposes face-to-face talks with Putin and a 'all-for-all' prisoner swap

Kremlin responds to Zelensky's open letter

According to Главком: On the evening of June 4, the Office of the President of Ukraine released an open letter from President Volodymyr Zelensky to Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later commented on it. In the letter, Zelensky proposed a personal meeting on neutral territory, with the primary aim of finding a path to lasting peace. He also declared readiness to implement a ceasefire during the negotiations and put forward a large-scale prisoner exchange under the 'all-for-all' formula.

International reaction

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke positively about the possibility of talks between the two sides. However, the Kremlin has not indicated that Putin is willing to meet Zelensky in person. Putin himself addressed the letter during his speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), singling out a paragraph related to his age.

'If Zelensky wanted to send a letter to Putin, he could have simply done so without announcing it. If you want to pass a letter, pass it. If you use a megaphone, don't call it a letter,' Dmitry Peskov remarked.

Peskov also stressed that Zelensky's open letter to Putin was shown through the proper channels, adding: 'We are officials; we do everything through established procedures.'

Zelensky's open letter can be seen as an attempt to initiate dialogue and reduce tensions between Ukraine and Russia. The proposal for a meeting in a third country and the willingness to agree to a ceasefire demonstrate Ukraine's intent to seek diplomatic solutions to the conflict. Still, the Kremlin's response-especially Peskov's comments-suggests that Russia's position remains firm, and the prospect of a summit between the two leaders currently appears uncertain.

In light of the ongoing diplomatic tensions, Zelensky's recent remarks about Putin's response highlight the complexities of their potential meeting. For a deeper understanding of how Zelensky characterized the Kremlin's reaction and the implications for future negotiations, read more about his assessment of Putin's reply here.