Vladimir Putin dryly responds to Volodymyr Zelensky's “rude” letter: “I don't see the point of a meeting”
Vladimir Putin flatly rejected the idea of a face-to-face meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, after he sent him an open letter requesting this and assessed the gesture of the Kiev leader as rude.
Volodymyr Putin does not want to meet with Zelensky. PHOTO: AFP
Present at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin stated that a meeting with Volodymyt Zelensky would make sense only after negotiators and experts reach an agreement in principle.
Thus, just one day after Volodymyr Zelenskiy sent him an open letter proposing a direct meeting to discuss the end of the war, Vladimir Putin sent a short and dry answer.
“I don't see the interest of a meeting. It would only be of interest to the Ukrainian side, with the aim of stopping the advance of our armed forces,” Putin said, adding that the talks must be held at the technical level first, and only later could a summit meeting take place.
“Let the specialists work, develop solutions, and later we can meet”, said the Kremlin leader, who criticized the expression of the Ukrainian president.
“This letter contains some rather rude remarks. Was this a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting, or one to prevent a face-to-face meeting? I think it's the latter,” Putin mocked Zelensky.
In his open letter, the Ukrainian president proposed to Putin a meeting in a third country, such as Switzerland or an Arab state, arguing that the first step towards peace should be an armistice and an exchange of prisoners, including the children whom Kiev accuses the Russians of having transferred from the occupied territories, according to Agerpres.
After a series of arguments, the document signed by Volodymyr Zelensky ends somewhat menacingly, with the Kiev leader warning Vladimir Putin that if the war continues, he will end up fighting for his own political survival, citing moments in Russian history when periods of crisis were followed by changes in power.
Reactions from Russia to the open letter
In Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's message was met with skepticism, with several commentators close to the pro-Kremlin camp appreciating that the letter aims for an “image” effect rather than relaunching negotiations.
“If we look at the text itself, we do not find there the slightest trace of genuine diplomacy”, noted Russian military blogger Rybar, followed by more than 1.5 million people on Telegram, who described the letter as a bluff.
“A significant part of the letter consists of direct insults, rhetoric about 'your war for no reason', threats to Russian citizens with 'drones over your cities' and claims about the fuel crisis and an alleged new wave of mobilization in Russia. Taken together, all of this amounts to yet another attempt to stir up discontent domestically in Russia.” the quoted blogger also noted.
