Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday wrote to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and said the two should meet in person to end the war, possibly in an Arab country.
In an open letter published on X, Mr Zelenskyy said the US is too distracted by its war against Iran to focus on helping end the war in Ukraine, now well into its fifth year.
“We see that the United States is fully focused on the issue of Iran, and it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the centre of its attention,” he wrote.
“There are countries that have traditionally hosted leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Turkey, the countries of the Arab world – many are able and willing to host such a meeting,” Mr Zelenskyy wrote.
US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he was “glad that they're maybe talking about meeting. I think we had a lot to do with it … I think it would be great if they met, they should get it done.”
Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations, Mr Zelenskyy said, noting that the “current developments around Iran only reinforce that point".
Mr Zelenskyy proposed setting a clear date for a meeting and told Mr Putin: “Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war.”
The Russian leader's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has no end in sight and a front line in eastern Ukraine has remained largely static for years.
Despite incessant Russian bombardment of Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and homes, Kyiv this year has taken back territory, thanks in large part to its rapid advances in drone combat.
“You believed Ukrainians would not have the strength to defend themselves. Yet today, our people are helping our partners in the Middle East and the Gulf build their own defences,” Mr Zelenskyy wrote.
He said Ukraine proposes ending the war through direct engagement between the leaders.
“I am proposing a meeting … If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
He also warned Mr Putin about the potential precariousness of his position and said the country is growing weary of the war's toll on its economy and the number of Russian troops being killed.
“It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: when Russia grows tired, change comes,” he wrote.
In Moscow, the Kremlin said it had seen Mr Zelenskyy's letter and that Mr Putin would be briefed on it.
Mr Zelenskyy also proposed “all-for-all exchange of prisoners of war, and this could become a good prologue to ending the war".
