Putin 'simply does not want to end the war,' Zelensky says after Russian leader dismisses open letter
on Google
In his evening address on June 5, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having no interest in ending Russia's war in Ukraine, after the Russian leader dismissed Zelensky's open letter calling for the immediate reopening of peace negotiations.
"Unfortunately, the Russian side once again chooses war – everyone heard the response today," Zelensky said of Putin's response to the letter earlier in the day, in which Putin indicated that he saw "no point in meeting with Zelensky."
"(Putin) simply does not want to end the war. I think many around the world were disappointed by that response. He does not want to change anything and he does not want to admit that this war appeals only to him – and to those who are making money off him," Zelensky said in his evening address.
The latest comments from both leaders effectively pours cold on the immediate prospects of reopening peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. The U.S.-brokered talks have been stalled for months amid the Trump administration's focus on the war in Iran. Throughout previous months-long peace talks, Moscow has repeatedly rejected a ceasefire as a pretext of entering a final phase of negotiations.
Earlier in the day at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin decried Kyiv's letter telling attendees that it was not appropriate "to move to a public debate," further claiming that the letter contained "elements of rudeness."
In an open letter published June 4, the Ukrainian president proposed a face-to-face meeting to discuss ending more than four years of full-scale war. The letter marked the first direct public outreach by the Zelensky to Putin since 2022.
U.S. President Donald Trump on June 5 signaled his support for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to end the full-scale war, saying he believes it is close to being settled.
"Well, I don't mind. I mean ... let them deal," Trump said. "I'm the one that got him to this position."
"I think that's going to get worked out," Trump added. "We're getting close."
