International media have collected assessments of the open letter sent by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Russian President Vladimir Putin from influential global outlets.
The Associated Press noted that the letter contains an “extensive criticism” of Putin’s 26-year rule. AP added that this is the first public written address directly to Putin since February 24, 2022, suggesting that the timing was not accidental.
According to AP, Zelensky appears to have used a perceived turning point in the war, as Ukraine has recently regained some momentum on the battlefield, largely due to improved long-range strike capabilities that have disrupted Russian advances. At the same time, Moscow has intensified its deadly air campaign across Ukraine, exploiting gaps in Kyiv’s air defense and continued vulnerability to ballistic missile attacks.
The New York Times reported that the letter “combines a proposal for peace talks and mockery,” as Zelensky criticized Putin over military failures, inflation in Russia, dependence on China, and even referenced Putin’s age, suggesting fatigue after decades in power.
The publication also drew attention to the sarcastic remarks that the dictator is unable to protect his own capital or Russia’s second-largest city, Saint Petersburg. At the same time, the NYT finds it “incomprehensible” what the Ukrainian president can gain from a “mixed tactic of annoying the bear and calling for peace.”
However, the letter most likely had a different addressee, the publication suggests.
“Although the open letter was addressed to Putin, it also appears to have been intended to attract Trump’s attention.” Zelensky offered Putin direct negotiations outside the process that the Trump administration had been trying to implement so far, the New York Times concludes from the open letter. After all, negotiations led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner effectively stopped after the start of the war against Iran in February. The Ukrainian president also hinted to Putin at the futility of his efforts to achieve results during a meeting with Trump in Anchorage, Alaska.
The authors of the New York Times believe that the letter “at least partly” resembles a “public relations move.” They note that, like the recent drone attack on Saint Petersburg, this appeal could “raise morale” in Ukraine. “The letter could also send a message to one audience—Trump—that Putin’s position is deteriorating. Or it could help fuel internal divisions in Russia. In any case, Ukraine believes that Russia can do little in response other than its own missile strikes and what it has already done,” the New York Times writes.
One of the sharpest direct appeals
The New York Times also recalls that at various stages of the war, Zelensky recorded video statements addressed to Putin or the Russian people—starting from the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. But the new open letter has become “one of the sharpest direct appeals (Zelensky) has ever made to Putin.” However, the Ukrainian leader had previously proposed direct meetings with Putin, but without success, the publication notes.
The BBC highlights the “defiant, even mocking” tone of the letter to Putin, which drew attention to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory. The BBC calls Zelensky’s call for a direct bilateral meeting “not new,” but notes as “significant” the public acknowledgment in the letter that the US is “fully paying attention to the Iran issue.”
The British corporation also notes that on the same day—although apparently not yet aware of the letter—Putin had already expressed doubts about the possibility of holding a meeting or reaching an agreement with Ukraine. “Whether Mr. Zelensky is a legitimate representative of Ukraine is a question for lawyers, for legal analysis,” Putin said to foreign journalists in Saint Petersburg on June 4, effectively repeating the long-standing Russian narrative that Zelensky’s mandate expired in May 2024 due to the absence of presidential elections in Ukraine.
The timing of the letter is important
CNN draws attention to the timing of the letter: Zelensky published it in the context of Putin’s press conference at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and a day after Ukrainian strikes on Saint Petersburg. The main message of the letter is formulated as follows: “Zelensky offers a direct meeting with Putin to end the war.”
AFP adds broader context to the Ukrainian president’s statements in his letter to Putin. In addition to the words that “Ukraine will continue to fight for its existence” if Putin “does not come to the idea that it is time to end this war,” the agency recalls how Ukraine has in recent months intensified long-range strikes on Russian energy and military targets—“attacks it considers a justified response to nightly Russian shelling.”
AFP journalists also recall that, although Zelensky called for a face-to-face meeting with Putin, just before the publication of this letter, Putin in Saint Petersburg repeated his claims about the alleged “illegitimacy” of the Ukrainian leader when speaking to the media.
The Guardian suggests that the Ukrainian president clearly wanted to emphasize that, although Ukrainian resilience remains unchanged, most Russians are tired of the war started by Putin and its consequences.
“The Ukrainian president rarely addresses Putin directly, but has repeatedly called for a meeting with him, emphasizing that such a meeting is necessary to resolve any territorial issues. Putin has previously ruled out such direct negotiations, falsely calling Zelensky an ‘illegitimate’ leader and stating that he would meet him only to finalize a pre-agreed agreement,” the publication recalls.
Sybiha: The proposal is serious
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that the letter is a serious proposal to end the war and that Ukraine will formally transmit it to Russia through diplomatic channels. According to him, Ukraine expects a meaningful response.
In the letter, Zelensky emphasizes that Ukraine proposes ending the war “in a format between you and us” and invites Putin to meet and set a clear date for it. He adds that other selected participants could also join the bilateral plan.
The Ukrainian leader stresses that Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for negotiations and a prisoner exchange on an “all-for-all” basis.
“We must determine what the future will be for all future generations of Ukrainians and Russians. If you personally do not come to the idea in your mind that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue to fight for its survival. We will have those who support us. But you will also have to fight much harder for your survival—not Russia’s, but your own. And this is not a threat from me or Ukraine. These are facts of Russian history that you know well: when Russia becomes tired, changes happen. We can work on such fatigue. You can stop your war. Eternal memory to all whose lives were taken by this war. Glory to Ukraine!” the letter concludes.
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