Zelenskyy proposes personal meeting with Putin and ceasefire during negotiations

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin proposing a direct personal meeting and a ceasefire during the negotiation process.

According to Report, citing Ukrainian media, the full text of the letter was published on the website of the President of Ukraine.

"We are losing our people, and every loss hurts us… You have already been regularly, every few months, postponing deadlines for the capture of our regions, primarily Donetsk region. You will not capture it this year either," the letter says.

"But in Ukraine, we do not want a permanent war. We know very well that life without war is infinitely better. We want to achieve this. I am confident that the majority of Russians are ready to give a positive answer to this, and you know it," Zelenskyy stated.

He said Ukraine is ready for a prisoner exchange on an "all for all" basis, the return of civilians and children, and a direct bilateral track with possible involvement of the United States and Europe as security guarantors. He proposed holding a meeting in a neutral location and said the front line should become the starting point for diplomacy.

"There are countries that traditionally host leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Türkiye, Arab countries - many can and want to host this meeting. It is leaders who make key decisions - it has always been and will always be so. I propose setting a clear date for the meeting," he wrote.

"We heard that you were promised in Alaska some decisions regarding Ukraine and Europe. But you see that Ukrainian and European issues are not decided in Anchorage. We believe the United States should be part of the process, and this could define the configuration of a new security architecture in our part of the world," Zelenskyy added.