© picture alliance / TheKremlinMoscow-SvenSimon | The Kremlin Moscow
In an open letter, Ukrainian President Zelensky invited Vladimir Putin for a face-to-face meeting to come to an end to the conflict between their two countries. The Russian president resolutely declined the invitation.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to a letter from his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the International Economic Forum held each year in St. Petersburg. The opening of the forum, also known as "Putin's Davos," was overshadowed by Wednesday's Ukrainian attack on military targets and an oil installation in St. Petersburg, Putin's hometown.
"I see no reason for a meeting. We need a lasting peace agreement," Putin stated. He also called the open letter "rude" and further pointed out that Zelensky's letter can never have had the intention of a real meeting: according to Putin, Zelensky knows that such a meeting is an illusion.
"A fair and dignified end to the war"
In his open letter, Zelensky had called for a "fair and dignified end to the war": "Ukraine is offering to end this war. We must do it honestly, with dignity, and guarantee that there will be no new outbreak of war. I propose a meeting with you," the letter read.
According to independent analysts, Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas: something Zelensky categorically refuses, especially as military momentum is slowly tilting in Ukraine's favor. For the first time in three years, thanks in part to a predominance in the drone war, Kyiv claims to have regained more ground than Russia took in recent months.
Huge losses
In his letter, Zelensky pointed out to Putin the enormous Russian losses: according to Kyiv, since the 2022 invasion nearly 1.4 million Russian soldiers have been killed or seriously wounded on the front line in Ukraine. The Russian economy is also suffering enormously from the ongoing conflict.
Zelensky suggested a neutral site for negotiations, but soon after his letter was published, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that Zelensky is welcome in Moscow "any time" if he wants to talk about a peace deal.
Picture: © picture alliance / TheKremlinMoscow-SvenSimon | The Kremlin Moscow