Putin responds to Zelensky’s letter: ‘I see no point in meeting’
According to Ukrinform, Putin made the remarks during a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, as reported by the BBC Russian service.
“I see no point in meeting. First, solutions need to be found,” Putin said in response to a question from the session moderator, Indian journalist Geeta Mohan.
The Russian leader claimed that Ukraine’s primary interest is “simply to stop the advance” of Russian armed forces, while Russia supposedly seeks “agreements.”
“Let the experts work, develop some solutions, and then we can meet,” Putin said.
Putin added that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had shown him Zelensky’s letter the previous day and again brought it to him on Friday morning. He also claimed that the letter contained “elements of rudeness.”
According to reports, Putin initially avoided referring to Zelensky by name, instead describing him as “the author of the letter” and “this gentleman,” although he later mentioned the Ukrainian President by surname.
As reported by Astra, Putin also responded to Zelensky’s remarks regarding his age, saying that many political leaders continue to perform their duties at his age and that some are even older. In this context, he argued that the key factors are “capability and ability to work.”
The Kremlin leader further stated that Zelensky should “learn good manners” from U.S. President Donald Trump.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, on Thursday, Zelensky published an open letter proposing a personal meeting with Putin to discuss ways to end the war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha subsequently stated that Ukraine would officially pass Zelensky’s proposal to Putin through diplomatic channels.
