Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The Ukrainian president has suggested that he and Putin meet on neutral ground.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent an open letter directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He urged his counterpart to pick a date and meet in person to discuss an end to the ongoing violence.
In the letter, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has intelligence indicating that Russia is drawing up plans to continue the war in 2027 and 2028, but he urged the Russian leader to stop the fighting before it comes to that.
He also made it clear that any future negotiations must involve both European and American leaders.
Washington weighs in
Speaking to reporters at the White House, US President Donald Trump offered his thoughts on the potential meeting. He seemed optimistic about the sudden shift in tone.
“Well, I don’t know. I’m glad that they’re maybe talking about meeting,” Trump said. He described both Zelenskyy and Putin as “very good people” representing “incredible countries.”
The American leader also claimed credit for paving the way. Trump stated that the United States had done a significant amount of work behind the scenes to make a face-to-face discussion possible. He threw his full support behind the idea.
“I think it would be great if they met. They should get it done,” Trump added.
Waiting for Moscow
All eyes have now turned to Russia to see how the Kremlin responds to the offer. An official answer has not yet been given. However, Russian officials have acknowledged that they are aware of the correspondence.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian authorities have seen the open letter. He noted that Putin would be briefed on its contents later. Whether this will lead to a historic summit remains a major question.
To start negotiations, Ukraine offered an immediate ceasefire. Zelenskyy suggested that the United States could monitor the front lines while both sides carry out an all-for-all prisoner exchange and facilitate the return of deported children.
Instead of meeting in Kyiv or Moscow, he suggested a neutral venue such as Switzerland or Turkey.
