The letter was released a day after Ukraine launched a major attack on St. Petersburg, hitting a major oil depot and military targets on the same morning as Putin welcomed world leaders to the city for his key economic forum, The Kyiv Independent reported.
In the letter, Zelenski presents arguments why Putin should end the conflict and sets the conditions for reopening negotiations.
This war is your personal choice
“Almost half of your 26 years in power in Russia you spent in the war against Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote. “Whatever you say about NATO, geopolitics and the Russian language, this war is your personal choice – a war without a real reason. That’s how history will remember it,” he added.
In the letter, Zelensky recalled Russia’s failure to conquer Kiev and crush the Ukrainian resistance during the 2022 invasion, the devastating effects of international sanctions on the Russian economy, huge human losses, and the growing dissatisfaction of the Russian population as the war drags on and is increasingly felt at home.
Your war has no end in sight
“The Russian people don’t like our drones and missiles. They don’t like fuel shortages and constant price increases. They don’t like the endless bans. They don’t like your intention to launch a second wave of mobilization to expand the war in a different direction inside Ukraine or to direct it against some other neighboring country. They don’t like that there is no end in sight to your war,” the Ukrainian president wrote.
Proposal for a meeting and negotiations
Zelensky invited Putin to a meeting in a neutral country to agree on the terms of a peace agreement. He stated that he is open to a complete ceasefire during the negotiation period and to the beginning of peace negotiations with the exchange of prisoners on the principle of “all for all”.
“Ukraine offers an end to this war. We must do it justly, with dignity and with guarantees that there will be no new war… I suggest we meet,” he said.
Zelensky called on the Russian president to set a clear date for the meeting and stressed that the United States and Europe should also play a role in the talks. He asked the Kremlin to abandon stalling tactics and unreasonable maximalist demands, saying: “The front line is now the line where diplomacy should begin.”
You will have to fight for your own survival
“We have to determine what will be the future of all future generations of Ukrainians and Russians,” Zelensky told his Russian colleague.
“If you yourself do not understand that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue to fight for its survival. We will have support. But you will also have to fight much more for your own survival – not Russia’s survival, but your own,” the letter concluded.
“When you came to power more than 26 years ago, many in Ukraine looked at you with approval. It used to be like that, but that’s a thing of the past today.
Today, however, the vast majority of Ukrainians look with approval on the fact that our long-range drones visited the opening of your forum in St. Petersburg, flying more than 1000 kilometers. As you well know, that distance is not the ultimate range of our abilities.
During 26 years, your rule completely changed the nature of relations between Ukraine and Russia. From discussions about trade and other civil matters, our peoples have moved on to talks that are almost exclusively about strikes and losses.
You have spent almost half of your 26 years in power at war against Ukraine.
Whatever you say about NATO, geopolitics or the Russian language, this war is your personal choice – a war without a real reason. That’s how history will remember him.
Those years could have been very different.
Consequences of the war for Russia
We often hear that this war suits you. Of course, not when it comes to the safety of your residence in Valday or the parade in Moscow. Your own life is precious to you.
But now we all see that this reality is becoming more and more unpleasant for the Russians as well – the fact that the war brings more and more negative consequences to Russia itself.
They don’t like our drones and missiles. They don’t like fuel shortages and constant price increases. They don’t like constant restrictions. They don’t like your intention to launch a new wave of mobilization to expand the war in Ukraine or take it against other countries bordering Russia. They don’t like that your war has no end in sight.
Yes, you can still force the Russians to live that way. But your resources are dwindling significantly. You will not have enough money or political capital to continue buying the loyalty of the Russians as you have done for the past 26 years. And we will do everything to help the world get closer to that moment.
As you like to say, ‘let’s look at the numbers’.
Yesterday I received a report on the losses of your army on the front in Ukraine during May. The number of dead and seriously wounded Russian soldiers once again exceeded 30,000. We incur this level of losses month after month and we have video confirmation for each one – these are not empty words.
We know that 63 percent of your losses on the battlefield were killed, while only 37 percent were wounded. In the 21st century, no army can afford such a ratio. And the proportion of the dead will continue to grow.
It is not that we in Ukraine are concerned about the fate of Russian soldiers after all that your war has brought to our country. But I care about Ukrainians. We are losing our people and every loss is painful for us. Even when the ratio of Ukrainian to Russian losses is one to five or one to six, it is still very important.
It is also important that you regularly, every few months, postpone your own deadlines for occupying our regions – especially the Donetsk region. You will not occupy it this year either.
But we in Ukraine do not want a permanent war. We know very well that life without war is immeasurably better. And we want to achieve that. I am convinced that the majority of Russians would also react positively to that – and you know that.
Ukrainian resilience and Russian isolation
Many did not believe that Ukraine would be able to last this long. You didn’t believe it. Even those who advised you did not believe it. That was a mistake. You didn’t expect the full resilience of Ukraine and you didn’t foresee things going this far. And yet here we are – in the fifth year of this all-out war.
Don’t be afraid to take the way out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now.
Ukraine has preserved its independence. And he will preserve her. Despite all predictions to the contrary. We have united many around the world to stand with Ukraine and against you. We found the weapons and funding we needed. We get support. You get sanctioned. And it will continue until justice is achieved for Ukraine – the justice we seek and that can be achieved.
We will not let those who try to convince you that sanctions against Russia will be significantly eased and support for Ukraine reduced, without any significant change in your position, succeed. The example of Orban shows how those who decide to help Russia in the war against us end up disgraced.
Ukraine endured harsh winters while you tried to destroy our energy system. We stood firm – even in the dark, the resilience of the Ukrainians remained intact.
We have brought the war to your territory, which you could not handle without the help of North Korea. You are the first Russian ruler to turn to Pyongyang for help. And today you are completely dependent on China – also for the first time in the history of Russia.
You believed that the Ukrainians would not have the strength to defend themselves. Yet today our people are helping our partners in the Middle East and the Gulf to build their own defenses.
You hoped for internal unrest in Ukraine. Instead, your own military formations rebelled against you. On June 23, there will be another anniversary of that event, and silence will not erase that fact from history.
And now your officials, entrepreneurs and propagandists are looking at you with obvious weariness. The world sees it. The world is not tired of Ukraine, as you have long hoped. But Russia fatigue is growing – even among those around the world who are helping you circumvent sanctions and keep the economy alive. You can’t help but notice that. After 26 years in power, the years are starting to take their toll. Over time, your fatigue will only grow.
Proposal for direct negotiations
We have intelligence that you are considering plans to continue the war in 2027 and 2028. We also know that you are hoping that ballistic missiles will achieve what everything else has failed to do. You want to drag Belarus even deeper into this war, and we are forced to prepare for that as well. We see that you are trying to orchestrate something around Transnistria. Your propagandists threaten, in one way or another, every country bordering Russia. Do you really want to go through all that? The choice is now yours.
Enough of the war. Ukraine proposes to end it. This must be done fairly, with dignity and with guarantees that the war will not flare up again.
We see that the United States is completely focused on the issue of Iran and it would be a mistake to just wait for the war in Europe to return to the center of their attention. Ukraine proposes to end this war through direct talks between us – and you.
I suggest a meeting.
Everyone heard your representatives saying with a laugh that I could supposedly come to Moscow. But after these 26 years, the Ukrainian leader has nothing to look for in your capital, just as the Russian leader has nothing to look for in Kiev.
There are countries that have traditionally hosted leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Turkey, countries of the Arab world – many are able and willing to host such a meeting.
Leaders are the ones who solve the key issues. That’s how it’s always been and that’s how it will always be. I suggest setting a clear date for such a meeting.
We heard that you were promised in Alaska the resolution of certain issues concerning Ukraine and Europe. But you yourself see that the Ukrainian and European issues are not resolved in Anchorage.
A framework for achieving peace
Other agreed participants could join the bilateral route to be established between us. Since the war is taking place in Europe and Ukraine needs security guarantees, while you are looking for them for yourself, it would be logical to include those who can actually serve as guarantors.
We believe that Europe should be part of this process – those who really have the capacity to influence the situation. We also believe that the United States must be part of the process. This is what could help shape a new security architecture for our part of the world.
We have already experienced many agreements with Russia, including the Minsk agreements, which ultimately failed. That is why we must first find direct answers to the remaining questions, and not hide from difficult topics behind formulas, technical working groups or endless time-wasting in shuttle diplomacy.
Your war has permanently separated Ukraine and Russia. Today’s front line is the starting point from which diplomacy must start.
Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire during the negotiations. This is Amazon practice, and the current developments around Iran only confirm it. Trying to establish real silence is the best way to start a conversation. We believe that it would not be just an attempt, but an actual ceasefire – if that is what you want. You know that the United States has the ability to monitor a ceasefire along the line where hostilities cease.
Ukraine is ready to exchange all prisoners of war on the principle of “all for all”, which could become a good prelude to ending the war. Serious steps must be taken to return civilians and children who were taken during the war. We must determine what kind of future awaits the generations of Ukrainians and Russians who come after us.
The choice is yours
If you do not personally conclude that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue to fight for survival. We will have the support of those who are with us.
But you too will have to fight much harder for your own survival – not Russia’s survival, but your own. This is not a threat from my side or from the side of Ukraine. It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: when Russia gets tired, changes follow.
We can work on that fatigue. You can stop your war.
Eternal memory to all whose lives were taken by this war.
Glory to Ukraine!”
(Vijesti.ba)
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