Kathrine Frich
He did not offer a complex political speech.
When a long and brutal war grinds on, global spectators look for any sign that the fighting might stop.
Leaders drop hints, letters are exchanged across enemy lines, and intermediaries try to broker a fragile peace.
Letters and invitations
The ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe took an unexpected turn on Thursday evening. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released an open letter directly to his Russian counterpart.
The letter contained a straightforward plea to halt the violence. “Now the choice is yours. Enough of the war. Ukraine proposes an end to this war,” Zelensky wrote.
Kremlin officials reacted quickly to the public message. According to Polish news outlet Onet, a spokesperson for the Russian government laid out a potential path forward.
“President Putin said that if Zelensky wants to talk, he can come to Moscow,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated. He added that the Russian leader had not yet read the text of the letter.
Five words spoken
Meanwhile, the Russian president was already sharing his vision of a potential peace with international reporters in St. Petersburg. He revealed exactly how he would handle a face-to-face encounter if the fighting stopped.
He did not offer a complex political speech. Instead, he reduced his hypothetical meeting with the Ukrainian leader to just five simple words.
“At least we could and should have said then: ‘Thank God, it’s over,'” Putin declared.
Earlier in the day, the Russian leader also noted that outside pressures are mounting. Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump had asked Russia to find a compromise to end the conflict.
Pressure to compromise
The American leader confirmed his stance during a separate meeting with members of the press. Trump voiced strong support for a direct summit between the warring heads of state.
“I think it would be great if they met. They should end this [conflict],” Trump said. He described both men as “two very good people.”
The White House is pushing hard for concessions from both capitals. Washington wants to see active diplomatic negotiations rather than endless trench warfare.
“Both sides will have to compromise. I suggested those compromises, and we had a big hand in them. These are two very special countries, beautiful countries. They have to stop,” Trump noted.
Sources: Onet, Reuters
