Zelenskyy offers Putin direct peace talks in open letter

Initially, there was no substantive reaction from the Kremlin to the letter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov merely said: "President Putin has said that Zelenskyy can come to Moscow if he wants to talk." However, Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected Moscow as a venue for negotiations.

Putin at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum

In parallel, Putin addressed foreign news agencies at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. He reaffirmed his readiness for dialogue with Europe to end the war, but made peace conditional on full Russian control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Donbas. According to him, Russia is attacking along the entire front.

At the press conference, Putin also commented on the fighting that has been ongoing since 2022. He expressed confidence in victory and claimed that Ukraine had a monthly deficit of 30,000 soldiers, as losses and desertions exceeded the number of newly recruited conscripts. The figure of 15,000 conscripts forced into the Ukrainian army each month contradicts official figures from Kyiv, which state that more than 30,000 are recruited each month.

Controversial Figures on Losses and Territorial Gains

Putin also stated that Russian forces had captured 2,440 square kilometers of territory. However, according to calculations by Ukrainian military observers close to the government, the Russian army has captured just under 700 square kilometers since the beginning of the year, at a decreasing pace.

Putin on NATO Warnings and Potential Mediators

At the press conference, Putin emphatically rejected warnings circulating in the West about a Russian threat and a possible imminent attack by Moscow on a NATO country. "But in my opinion, it is not just nonsense – it is a deliberate provocation," he said. He claimed that a threat situation is being deliberately conjured up "that does not actually exist." The goal is to "force the populations of their own countries to spend more money on defense," Putin said. It would be "ridiculous if it weren't so sad." Anyone who thinks Russia could invade NATO territory should ask themselves: "Why?" NATO is considered militarily superior to Russia.

According to Putin, only neutral "people" who "can be trusted" would be considered as mediators. He expressed "astonishment" that his plea for former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to act as a mediator had been intensely discussed in Germany. Germany and Europe are not neutral because of their arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Economic Background of the Forum

In the fifth year of the war, Russia is facing sluggish growth and ongoing Western sanctions. At the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, the Kremlin wants to demonstrate economic strength. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin had stated that Moscow was not planning a war.

Zelenskyy's open letter and Putin's parallel appearances in St. Petersburg coincide with the international economic forum, where the Kremlin is seeking foreign contacts. However, the proposals from Kyiv and the Russian conditions are far apart. Zelenskyy has rejected Moscow as a venue for negotiations, while Putin insists on control of Donbas. It remained unclear when or whether there would be a response from Moscow to the letter.