Volodymyr Zelensky has challenged Vladimir Putin to meet with him on neutral territory, warning the Russian president that he will have to ‘fight for his own existence’ if he doesn’t end the war.

The Ukrainian president delivered the message in an open letter addressed to Putin, marking the first public message he has written directly to the dictator since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

In the letter, Zelensky said that while Ukrainians’ resilience remains intact, there is a ‘growing fatigue’ among Russians, who are increasingly weary of the impact of war and are ready for peace.

He claimed that more than 30,000 Russian soldiers were killed and seriously wounded in May, a casualty figure that has been consistent ‘month after month’.

‘I am proposing a meeting,’ Zelensky wrote, ruling out both Moscow and Kyiv as venues and suggesting Switzerland, Turkey or Arab states as possible hosts for negotiations.

He said Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the talks, and proposed an all-for-all exchange of prisoners of war as ‘a good prologue’ to ending the conflict.

Zelensky concluded his letter by delivering a chilling threat to Putin if the offer of peace is refused: ‘Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence. We will have those who support us. 

‘But you, too, will have to fight much harder for your own existence — not Russia’s, but your own.’

Volodymyr Zelensky has challenged Vladimir Putin to meet with him on neutral territory, warning the Russian president that he will have to ‘fight for his own existence’ if he doesn’t end the war

The Ukrainian president delivered the message in an open-letter addressed to Putin, marking the first public message he has written directly to the dictator since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022

Ukraine staged a massive attack on St Petersburg on June 3 ahead of a major economic forum hosted by Vladimir Putin in the city

Zelensky appeared to be trying to seize a pivotal moment in the war, as Ukraine has begun to regain some battlefield leverage largely through improved long-range strike capabilities that have complicated Russia´s advances. 

June 3 saw Ukrainian drones hit ​a major oil terminal in St Petersburg and a warship in dry-dock at a nearby naval base, hours before Putin’s showcase economic forum got under ‌way in the city, in a clear attempt to embarrass the Kremlin chief.

At the same time, Moscow has intensified its deadly aerial campaign across Ukraine, seeking to exploit Kyiv´s shortages and continued vulnerability to ballistic missile attacks. 

In the letter, Zelensky said it would be ‘wrong to simply wait’ for the Trump administration to return its attention to ending the Ukraine war while it remains heavily focused on the Iran war.

‘Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you,’ he wrote.

US President Donald Trump said it ‘would be great’ if Putin and Zelensky met. ‘They should get it done,’ Trump said. 

The letter, defiant and mocking in tone, offered a sweeping critique of the Russian leader´s 26 years in power, and argued that Ukraine has gained the upper hand in the war.

‘When you came to power in Russia more than 26 years ago, many people in Ukraine viewed you positively. That is how it was,’ he wrote to Putin.

‘But that is now in the past. Now, the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians view it positively that our long-range drones paid a visit to the opening of your forum in St. Petersburg, covering a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers. 

‘As you know very well, that distance is not the limit of our capabilities,’ he said, referencing the recent Ukrainian strike during Russia’s ‘Davos’ — a glitzy annual economic forum designed to attract foreign investment.

‘Whatever you may say about NATO, geopolitics, or the Russian language, this war is your personal choice — a war without a real cause. That is how history will remember it,’ the Ukrainian leader wrote.

He then said the Russian population was becoming ‘less comfortable’ with the reality of war, insisting they had become tired with Ukrainian drone and missile attacks, petrol shortages and rising prices.

Smoke rises over the city’s skyline following Russian strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine, May 24

‘Yes, you can still force Russians to exist this way. But your resources are shrinking significantly,’ Zelensky wrote to Putin.

‘You will not have enough money or political capital to keep buying the loyalty of Russians the way you have for the past 26 years.’

He said Russia couldn’t afford to keep losing soldiers to the frontline, writing: ‘We know that 63 per cent of your battlefield losses are killed, while only 37 per cent are wounded. 

‘In the 21st century, no army can afford such a ratio. And the share of those killed will continue to grow.

‘It is not as if we in Ukraine are concerned about the fate of Russian soldiers after everything your war has brought to our country.

‘But I do care about Ukrainians. We are losing our people, and every loss is painful to us.’

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said ‘this open letter is a serious and meaningful proposal to end the war’.

‘We expect a meaningful response to this proposal. It’s time to end this war. It’s time to choose peace,’ he added.

Zelensky said Putin has been forced to enlist the help of North Korea and China, as the rest of the world continues to hit Russia with sanctions.

‘You are the first ruler of Russia to turn to Pyongyang for assistance. And today you are fully dependent on China — also for the first time in Russia’s history,’ he wrote.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has ‘found the weapons and the financing we needed’, and is developing closer diplomatic ties with Middle Eastern countries to bolster their defences.

‘You did not expect full-scale resistance from Ukraine, and you did not foresee that things would go this far. Yet here we all are — in the fifth year of this full-scale war.

‘Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now,’ the Ukrainian leader implored.

He concluded the letter by saying that if Putin doesn’t accept the offer of peace, he will have to fight harder for his ‘existence’.

‘This is not a threat from me or from Ukraine. It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: when Russia grows tired, change comes,’ he wrote.

During a press conference on Thursday, the Russian leader appeared to immediately cast doubt on whether a meeting or deal was ever possible.

‘Whether Mr Zelensky is a legitimate representative of Ukraine, this is a question for the lawyers, for a legal analysis,’ he said – a repetition of a Kremlin line that there has been no presidential election since Zelensky’s term expired in May 2024.

However, elections have been suspended in Ukraine since martial law was declared after Russia’s invasion.

Trump declined to provide details about what concessions he had urged Putin to make to end the war, but said both sides would need to compromise. 

‘They´re going to both make compromises,’ he said. ‘I suggested those compromises.’