Meanwhile, in Russian-occupied Ukraine, at least four people were killed in Ukrainian drone attacks on Thursday. Ukraine also struck an oil complex and naval base in St Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Russia and Ukraine have been holding indirect peace talks<\/a> since the war began in February 2022, but with little or no concrete outcomes. US President Donald Trump has also met both Putin and Zelenskyy, seeking to bring them to the negotiating table to discuss ending the war, but so far, his efforts have not borne fruit.<\/p>\n Will Zelenskyy\u2019s open letter to Putin open a new path to a ceasefire?<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what we know:<\/p>\n What did Zelenskyy say in his letter?<\/p>\n In his letter, Zelenskyy told Putin that he has spent nearly half of his 26 years in power in Russia \u201cwaging war against Ukraine\u201d and said Russians are now growing increasingly tired of Ukrainian missiles and drone attacks, inflation and fuel shortages.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can all see that Russians are finally becoming less comfortable with this reality \u2013 with the fact that the war is bringing more and more negative consequences to Russia,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n He also told Putin that a prolonged war could threaten the Russian president\u2019s personal position. \u201cIt is a fact of Russian history that you know well: When Russia grows tired, change comes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter 26 years in power, age is beginning to take its toll. And with time, the fatigue with you will only grow,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy also wrote that while he and the Ukrainian people are less concerned about the loss of Russian lives on the battlefield, every loss of a Ukrainian counts. \u201cEven when the ratio of Ukrainian losses to Russian losses is one to five or one to six, it still matters greatly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe in Ukraine do not want a permanent war. We know very well that life without war is infinitely better. And we want to achieve that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy noted that with the US focused on its war on Iran, \u201cit would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the centre of its attention,\u201d and suggested a path to peace.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now.<\/p>\n \u201cUkraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us \u2013 and you. I am proposing a meeting\u2026 If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Regarding the location of the meeting, Zelenskyy said: \u201cThere are countries that have traditionally hosted leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Turkiye, the countries of the Arab world \u2013 many are able and willing to host such a meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe Europe should be part of this process \u2013 those who truly have the capacity to influence the situation. We also believe that the United States must be part of the process. This is what could help shape a new security architecture for our part of the world,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Writing on X, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the letter as \u201ca serious and meaningful proposal to end the war \u2026 with clear, doable steps and an invitation for a personal meeting\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe expect a meaningful response to this proposal. It\u2019s time to end this war. It\u2019s time to choose peace.\u201d<\/p>\n Why is this letter significant?<\/p>\n Markus Ziener, a senior visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States Berlin office, told Al Jazeera that making the letter public forces Russia to openly show its hand while proving to the world that Ukraine is ready for diplomacy.<\/p>\n \u201cIt places the moral high ground and the pressure to respond entirely on the Kremlin,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He noted, however, that this is not the first time Zelenskyy has reached out to Putin.<\/p>\n \u201cMost recently on May 11, 2025, he publicly and explicitly announced that he was ready to travel to Turkey to meet Putin in person for face-to-face talks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy\u2019s new proposal shows that the Ukrainian president \u201cfeels emboldened by the successful military pushbacks<\/a> against the Russian army on the battlefield, including successfully targeting Russian infrastructure far in Russian mainland\u201d, Ziener said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Ukrainian president believes that, currently, the momentum is on his side and therefore it is good moment [to] offering talks.\u201d<\/p>\n Has Putin accepted Zelenskyy\u2019s proposal?<\/p>\n The Russian president\u2019s spokesman told reporters in Russia that Putin was aware of Zelenskyy\u2019s letter but had not yet been briefed about its content in detail.<\/p>\n But at Russia\u2019s showcase annual economic forum in St Petersburg on Thursday, Putin said<\/a> his troops were continuing to advance in Ukraine.<\/p>\n \u201cThe offensive is ongoing on a daily basis. At present, the Russian Federation has taken full control of the Luhansk People\u2019s Republic \u2013 100 percent. And Russia has brought more than 85 percent of the territory of the Donetsk People\u2019s Republic under its control. (And) 80 percent of the territory of the Zaporizhzhia region,\u201d he said, referring to three of the four regions in Ukraine which Moscow has claimed as its own since 2022.<\/p>\n
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(Al Jazeera)Will the US and Europe play a bigger role now?<\/p>\n