Zelenskyy tells Putin: Your survival depends on an end to Ukraine conflict

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Vladimir Putin that he faces a fight for his survival in Russia if he does not agree to end the war.

In a rare open letter, the Ukrainian President also proposed a face-to-face meeting with his Russian nemesis, saying he was ready for a “full ceasefire”.

Putin, who was speaking in St Petersburg when the letter was published, also said he wanted an end to the war as soon as possible, and that peace talks could be held while the war continued.

But Zelenskyy, citing negotiations between the US and Iran, said a ceasefire should come into force before talks took place. He also said the US could monitor any ceasefire, and that Europe must be part of the peace process.

The letter marks one of the few times Zelenskyy has appealed directly to Putin since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

He published the letter a day after Ukraine attacked St Petersburg as the St Petersburg Economic Forum got underway.

Talks between Russia and Ukraine have been stalled for months, as US-led negotiations remain effectively frozen because of the Iran war.

Previous rounds of negotiation between the two sides in Istanbul, Abu Dhabi and Geneva failed to yield a breakthrough on the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement.

In his letter, Zelenskyy said the majority of Russians ⁠had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drones attacks, inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready ‌for peace.

He said: “If you do not personally come to the conclusion ‌that it is time ⁠to end this war, Ukraine will ⁠continue fighting for its existence.

“It is a fact of Russian history ⁠that you ⁠know well: when Russia grows tired, change comes. Almost half of your 26 years of power in Russia you have spent in the war against Ukraine.

“Whatever you say about Nato, geopolitics and the Russian language, this war is your personal choice – a war without a real reason. This is how history will remember it.”

Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for a meeting with his Russian counterpart, saying only face-to-face talks would lead to an agreement on territory.

He said: “Ukraine offers 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.”

He suggested holding the meeting in a neutral country and called on the Russian president to set a “clear date” for the talks.

He concluded: “We need to determine what the future will be for all future generations of Ukrainians and Russians.”

In response, the Kremlin said Zelenskyy was welcome to meet Putin in Moscow “any time”.

With Ukraine’s growing ability to evade Russian air defences to strike deep behind enemy lines, the war, in its fifth year, has affected the Russian public like never before.

In recent weeks, Zelenskyy has been buoyed by the ever-increasing success of Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory – exemplified by the attack on St Petersburg – and signs of resistance to Putin at the highest levels in Moscow.

Meanwhile, Moscow’s advances in Ukraine have ground to a virtual halt, with its forces suffering from casualty rates not seen since World War II.

The military failings and the Kremlin’s inability to contain the war’s economic fallout have increasingly isolated Putin, prompting concerns that he risks a coup from people once considered close confidants.

Zelenskyy’s open letter is a bullish attempt to capitalise on the turbulence in Russia and bring the war to an end in a way agreeable to the Ukrainian public.

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