'Ball is in Russia’s court': MFA calls Zelenskyy’s letter an 'opportunity' for Putin
Photo: Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
A meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States could help bring the war in Ukraine closer to an end, as the negotiations have stalled. At the same time, the Ukrainian president's letter represents an "opportunity" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, states Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during a national telethon live broadcast.
"I believe that this letter, this appeal — President Zelenskyy's open appeal to Putin — is a letter of opportunity for Putin himself," the minister emphasized.
He added that the document had been officially registered and circulated through the platforms of international organizations, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE.
According to Sybiha, the letter's message is to present the real situation in which Ukraine and Russia currently find themselves. He added that it also offers Moscow a chance to end the war in the near term, given the developments on the battlefield and in the Russian economy.
"President Zelenskyy provides an objective picture that we hope President Putin will also read, unlike the pseudo-reports and triumphalist briefings he receives from his inner circle. Ukraine wants to end the war," the foreign minister stressed.
Negotiations 'stalling'
He noted that Ukraine has concrete proposals on how to achieve a "decent and just" peace. Sybiha added that the US-led negotiation track is currently experiencing a slowdown due to the American side's shift in focus toward the Middle East.
"We have no time to waste. We want to maintain the high momentum of the negotiation process. We have reached the phase, the stage, where a meeting at the leaders' level can truly bring a just and dignified peace closer. President Zelenskyy clearly states this in his letter," the minister said.
Letter is an opportunity for Putin
Sybiha noted that Ukraine has significantly strengthened its negotiating position thanks to the courage of its soldiers, "long-range sanctions," its unique expertise in protecting the skies, and the ability of Ukrainian defenders to shoot down Russian aerial targets. He stressed that "this letter is an opportunity for Putin."
"The ball is now in Russia's court because Ukraine has once again publicly demonstrated its position. We are ready to end the war through diplomatic means while currently holding the strongest positions on the battlefield that we have had in the past year," the foreign minister stressed.
According to him, the Russians' absurd proposals for the Ukrainian president to come to Moscow are unacceptable, as they are yet another manipulation and an attempt to avoid this meeting.
Reaction to the letter from European partners
"I am currently preparing a report for the president on the reaction, the global reaction. We are compiling a special chart covering responses from world leaders and individual capitals, both official and unofficial, and the reaction is there. Everyone understands who is interested in prolonging the war today: Putin. And President Zelenskyy has once again demonstrated this publicly," Sybiha stressed.
He also explained why the Ukrainian president chose the unusual format of an open letter, which is atypical for modern diplomacy.
"It seems to me that Ukraine has proven that one of its strengths in negotiations today is asymmetry. And it seems to me that this is also a distinctive approach — not even a style, but a special form of diplomacy of the head of state, President Zelenskyy — these asymmetric steps," the minister said.
According to him, Ukraine has received many positive comments from experienced diplomats and European colleagues regarding the drafting and delivery of the letter.
Verdict for Russia
Sybiha reported that the only response from the Russian side to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s letter was a statement by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
"The President of Ukraine gave a clear assessment of what is happening now. This is essentially a verdict for the Russian side, given the trends that will only intensify, while support for Ukraine will only grow," he stressed.
The foreign minister emphasized the importance of the letter being supported by those partners whom Russia listens to. According to him, Kyiv is appealing to them in order to facilitate a meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia.
On the evening of June 4, Zelenskyy’s open letter to the Russian leader was published. In it, the head of state proposed holding a personal meeting in a third country to discuss possible ways to achieve long-term peace.
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine is ready to introduce a ceasefire regime during the negotiation process. Kyiv also proposed an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange initiative, which, according to the president, could become an important step toward ending the war.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump, commenting on Zelenskyy’s appeal to Putin, positively assessed the fact that a possible meeting between the parties was being discussed. He stressed that the United States had made significant efforts to create the conditions for such a dialogue.
More details on the content of Zelenskyy’s letter can be found in a separate RBC-Ukraine report.
