Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's open letter was "rude" as the despot rejected a proposed meeting. The Russian leader was responding to a public appeal from Zelensky, who urged him to hold direct talks aimed at bringing an end to the war

Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said Zelensky's message contained "elements of rudeness" and questioned whether it had been intended to pave the way for negotiations. "And this letter really does contain elements of rudeness. What is this? Is this a way of creating conditions for personal meetings and negotiations? Or is it creating a situation in which it is actually impossible to hold any personal meetings at all?" he said. In the letter, Zelensky said: "The choice is yours now. Enough of war. Ukraine proposes to end this war." He added: "This must be done honestly, with dignity, and with guarantees that the war will not be reignited."

The Ukrainian president also suggested the conflict should not be left waiting for intervention from Washington, writing: "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 center of its attention."

Calling for direct negotiations, Zelensky wrote: "Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting."

The Kremlin later confirmed it had received the letter, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Putin would be informed of its contents.

Despite his appeal for talks, Zelensky warned Ukraine would continue to resist Russian forces if a peace settlement could not be reached.

He said: "If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence. We will have those who support us."

In a pointed message directed at the Russian president, Zelensky added: "But you, too, will have to fight much harder for your own existence — not Russia's, but your own."

Speaking at the forum in St Petersburg, Putin also referred to what he described as a "terrible crime" in Starobilsk, claiming there had been "not a single military target" there.

The Russian president said he had contacted a Russian businessman who met Zelensky in Kyiv in May and asked him to explain the contradiction between Ukraine's call for talks and the attack.

Putin said: "They are asking for a meeting and at the same time committing such terrible crimes as killing children."

According to Putin, the businessman replied that he had "no explanation" for the events.

The latest exchange comes as fighting continues across Ukraine more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

While US President Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to push both sides towards negotiations, a lasting peace deal has remained out of reach as strikes and ground fighting continue.

Zelensky has repeatedly said Ukraine is prepared to negotiate an end to the conflict, but insists any settlement must include security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has maintained that any agreement must address what Moscow describes as the root causes of the conflict, with both sides remaining far apart on key issues.

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