Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy interpreted Vladimir Putin's response to his open letter proposing a meeting as a reluctance to end the war and suggested that this had disappointed many world leaders.
"Unfortunately, the Russian side has once again chosen war-everyone heard today's response. A weak response. He simply does not want to end the war. I think this response has disappointed many around the world," Zelenskyy said on Telegram on Friday.
He said Putin "doesn't want to change anything and doesn't want to admit that his war appeals only to him and those who profit from it-they were all smiling broadly today."
"So, there needs to be less money in Russia and more pressure on Russia," Zelenskyy said, thanking everyone who is helping Ukraine and wants real peace.
As reported, Zelenskyy, in an open letter to Putin, proposed a personal meeting to discuss ending the war and stated that Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations between the leaders of the two countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump commented at the White House on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's initiative, outlined in an open letter regarding a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that he generally views such a meeting positively.
Putin responded by stating that he has no intention of meeting with Zelenskyy. "I don't see the point in us meeting; the Ukrainian side's goal is to stop our advance, but we need agreements," he said on Friday during a plenary session at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia.
He also called Zelenskyy's chosen open method of communication "wrong." "Kyiv deemed it appropriate to move to a public discussion, and that is completely wrong," Putin explained his decision to refuse the meeting.
