Zelenskyy's Open Letter Asks Putin to Meet

Zelenskyy appears to be seizing a key moment. Ukraine has regained battlefield strength with long-range drone strikes — including an attack on an oil terminal in Putin's home city of St Petersburg, hours before Russia's main economic forum opened. Russia's Finance Ministry has warned of a widening budget deficit and rising pressure on military spending. Meanwhile, Washington has shifted attention to the war with Iran. Zelenskyy openly admitted it would be "wrong to simply wait" for the US to return to Europe. Britain, France, and Germany are reportedly preparing a parallel diplomatic initiative.

Reactions have been cautious. US President Donald Trump said the meeting "would be great" but insisted both sides must compromise. Putin, speaking to foreign journalists in St Petersburg, said he was "willing to reach an agreement" but again questioned Zelenskyy's legal authority, repeating Russia's line that his term expired in May 2024, although elections have been suspended under martial law. Separately, the US House of Representatives voted 226-195 to provide more than one billion dollars in security aid for Kyiv and impose sanctions on parts of the Russian economy, though Senate passage looks tougher. Ukraine's foreign minister Andriy Sybiha called the letter "a serious and meaningful proposal."