What is Russia saying about the Ukrainian president’s letter to his Russian counterpart?
On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky published a letter addressed to Russian leader Vladimir Putin calling for a one-on-one meeting, Europe’s participation in peace talks, and a full ceasefire amid heavy Russian battlefield losses and continued missile attacks on Ukraine.
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Ukraine’s former foreign minister said the letter is addressed not only to Putin but also to US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian society, and Europe, while analysts asserted that it is also a statement pointing to Putin’s failures.
But what is Russia saying about the letter and Zelensky’s offer?
Peskov: Come to Moscow
No responses from Putin yet as of early Friday afternoon, but his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Zelensky to come to Moscow if he wants a one-on-one with Putin.
“President Putin has said that if Zelensky wants to talk, he can come to Moscow and do so,” Peskov said, according to Chinese state media Xinhua.
Peskov did confirm that Putin has read the letter, but declined to share Putin’s thoughts by telling state media TASS that he “won’t get ahead of [himself].”
Peskov’s statement signals a return to a harder stance after earlier signs of flexibility.
Following the May 9 Victory Day parade, Putin said he thinks the war is “moving toward its end,” while claiming that he is open to meeting Zelensky in a third country after final agreements have been reached.
Macron Welcomes Zelensky Letter, Says ‘Now is The Time’ to Talk to Moscow
But Peskov’s “come to Moscow” proposal – previously rejected by Zelensky when proposed in September 2025 and on other occasions – once again struck third-country options off the list.
In his latest letter, Zelensky proposed neutral states such as Switzerland or Turkey for the talks.
“Everyone heard your representatives smilingly say that I could come to Moscow. But after 26 years, there is nothing for the Ukrainian leader in your capital, just like the Russian leader in Kyiv, to do,” Zelensky wrote.
“There are countries that traditionally host leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Turkey, countries of the Arab world – many can and want to host this meeting.”
Lavrov: We dictate the terms
As of early Friday afternoon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov simply said his ministry had not received the letter via official channels.
Yet Lavrov has called the letter nonsense and drew a parallel with French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent call for talks with Putin, according to Russian outlet Lenta.
“It’s like French President Macron saying he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin,” he said. “It’s just a matter of saying so, and then we’ll see.”
But regarding the peace talks at large, he doubled down on proposals supposedly initiated by the US in Alaska in August 2025, similar to what Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
In a separate interview on the sidelines of SPIEF, Lavrov also dismissed Europe’s call to initiate talks with Putin, saying Moscow will dictate the terms.
“This is not the time to use high style, to be honest. Someone, out of the blue, is now saying they’ll eventually need to talk with Russia,” Lavrov said.
“However, we will be the ones to decide when to talk and on what terms,” he added. “We are not going to reach out to them.”
Hardline Russian commentators: What peace?
Most commentaries have mocked Zelensky’s letter.
Russian politician Mironov – “Kyiv doesn’t want peace”
Sergei Mironov, chairman of the A Just Russia party, told state media TASS that the letter is “nothing more than PR, posturing, and grimacing in front of the West and Ukrainians,” arguing that Zelensky seeks to prolong the war despite Zelensky’s call for peace talks.
“Our president was absolutely right yesterday: Kyiv doesn’t want peace. For Zelensky and his junta, war is the only way to survive,” Mironov told TASS.
Komsomolskaya Pravda – “Why would a victor need peace negotiations?”
Another mockery comes in the form of an opinion piece from Russia’s Komsomolskaya Pravda, which perhaps unintentionally highlights a Russian position – peace talks are for losers.
“If Ukraine’s affairs at the front and in the rear are so excellent, then what’s the point of the letter? What does the author want to achieve? Peace? But why would a victor need peace negotiations? It’s unclear,” the author wrote.
Milblogger – “unexpectedly serious and almost respectful”
Russian pro-war channels such as War Gonzo offer a slightly different take.
In contrast to the state media’s outright mockery, the channel described Zelensky’s tone as “unexpectedly serious and almost respectful.”
But the channel also argued the letter is “designed to avoid negotiations” since, in his assertion, the “experienced and wise” Putin would simply “crush” Zelensky in a one-to-one meeting.
War Gonzo also shares the Kremlin line that Kyiv needs to give up the Donbas at a minimum – and ideally a regime change in Kyiv if possible.
Strelkov – “extremely advantageous position” for Zelensky
Igor “Strelkov” Girkin – the hardline Russian former intelligence officer, who in 2014 led a separatist war in eastern Ukraine and was later jailed by Moscow for speaking against the Russian military – said it is a bad time for Russia to engage in peace talks.
Girkin tacitly acknowledged Kyiv’s battlefield gains and argued that “it could continue to advance for years to come before critical points for the Kyiv regime are reached.”
He added: “The enemy [Ukraine] is currently on the rise, and our air defense forces are unable to repel these attacks everywhere. And the number of enemy tactical drones once again exceeds the number we are prepared and capable of deploying by an order of magnitude.”
As such, now would be a bad time for Russia to negotiate. It would be better to secure a stronger position.
“To negotiate directly with Zelensky, we must first achieve victories. Then we will be able to speak with him, at least from a position of strength,” he added.
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