Zelenskyy Proposes Direct Talks With Putin to End Ukraine War; Putin Rejects Offer

Putin spoke at Russia's annual economic forum in St Petersburg on Friday. He described the letter as rude and declined to use Zelenskyy's name, referring to him only as the author of the letter.

Putin said peace talks should come before any ceasefire. He stated that a temporary halt would only allow Ukrainian forces to regroup while Moscow's demands remain unmet. "The only point is for the Ukrainian side to halt the advance of our armed forces.

But we need agreements - not for six months, not for three months, but for the long term," he said. Putin added that military action would end only after Russia achieves its goals, including control of the entire eastern Donbas region.

Zelenskyy published the open letter on Thursday. It called for direct talks and a ceasefire, noting that it was wrong to wait for the war to regain U.S. attention. After hearing Putin's reply, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that Russia was choosing war again and that many in the world would be disappointed.

Ukraine said on Friday that it struck five ships carrying illegal cargo in the Sea of Azov and in waters off Russian-occupied territory. A Ukrainian drone also exploded in the Romanian port of Constanta after being knocked off course. Russian strikes over the past day killed at least 13 people and injured 70 others in Ukraine, officials said. Four died when a dairy factory near Kyiv was hit.