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Zelenskyy Writes Open Letter to Putin

worldJune 6, 2026·219 words·2 min read

This is a B1 (intermediate) English article about zelenskyy writes open letter to putin. Read the article below, then check the key words and test your understanding with 5 exercises. You can also listen to the audio and tap any word to see its meaning.

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Exercises

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Zelenskyy Writes Open Letter to Putin
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote an open letter a public message asking Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet and end the war. It is his first letter to Putin since Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022. Zelenskyy suggested holding talks in a neutral country like Switzerland, Turkey, or an Arab state. He also offered a ceasefire a stop in fighting during the talks.
Ukraine seems to be choosing a strong moment to ask. Its long-range drones have hit Russian targets, including an oil terminal in St Petersburg, Putin's home city. The attack came hours before Russia's biggest economic meeting opened. Russia's Finance Ministry has warned that the country has less money and that paying for the war is harder. The United States is also focused on the war with Iran. Britain, France, and Germany are preparing their own plan to bring Putin to talks.
Reactions were careful. US President Donald Trump said the meeting would be great but said both sides must compromise both must give up something. Putin said he was willing to agree but again questioned Zelenskyy's legal right to sign. Russia says Zelenskyy's term ended in May 2024, but Ukraine has stopped elections because of the war. The US House voted to give Ukraine more than one billion dollars in aid and to punish Russia.

Key Vocabulary

adj.
a letter that everyone can read
adj.
not on either side
n.
a stop in fighting
n.
able to go very far
n.
a place where oil is shipped out
v.
give up some of what you want
n.
money or things sent to help
v.
make pay for doing something bad
n.
a part of government for one job
Vocabulary Translations· 9 words · 12 languages

Every definition is context-aware — translated based on how the word is used in this article, not a dictionary.

open letteradj.

a letter that everyone can read

thư ngỏcarta aberta公開書簡açık mektupcarta abiertalist otwartyرسالة مفتوحةopen briefоткрытое письмо公开信공개서한
neutraladj.

not on either side

trung lậpneutro中立のtarafsızneutralneutralnyمحايدneutraalнейтральный中立的중립의
ceasefiren.

a stop in fighting

lệnh ngừng bắncessar-fogo停戦ateşkesalto el fuegozawieszenie broniوقف إطلاق النارstaakt-het-vurenпрекращение огня停火휴전
long-rangen.

able to go very far

tầm xade longo alcance長距離のuzun menzillide largo alcancedalekiego zasięguبعيد المدىlangeafstands-дальнобойный远程的장거리의
terminaln.

a place where oil is shipped out

kho cảngterminalターミナル(積出基地)terminalterminalterminalمحطةterminalтерминал码头터미널
compromisev.

give up some of what you want

thỏa hiệp, nhượng bộchegar a um meio-termo妥協するuzlaşmakllegar a un acuerdo, cederpójść na kompromisيتنازل، يصل إلى تسويةcompromis sluitenпойти на компромисс妥协타협하다
aidn.

money or things sent to help

viện trợajuda援助yardımayudapomocمساعداتhulpпомощь援助원조, 지원
punishv.

make pay for doing something bad

trừng phạtpunir罰する、制裁するcezalandırmakcastigar, sancionarukaraćيعاقبstraffenнаказать惩罚처벌하다, 제재하다
ministryn.

a part of government for one job

bộministériobakanlıkministerioministerstwoوزارةministerieминистерство부 (정부 부처)

Check Your Understanding

Question 1: Multiple Choice

Why does Ukraine seem to be choosing a strong moment to ask for talks?

Question 2: Multiple Choice

Why does Putin question Zelenskyy's right to sign a deal?

Question 3: Fill in the Blank

Zelenskyy offered a ______ so that the fighting would stop during the talks.

Question 4: Fill in the Blank

Trump said both sides must ______ to reach a deal together.

Question 5: Put in Order

Put these ideas in the correct logical order.

1Zelenskyy wrote an open letter asking Putin to meet and end the war.
2Ukraine's long-range drones hit Russian targets, including an oil terminal.
3Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022.
4Russia's Finance Ministry warned that paying for the war is harder.

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Memorize Practice

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