Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that a letter sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 4, proposing a meeting to discuss the end of the ongoing conflict, yielded a “necessary result.” This statement was made during a media briefing alongside leaders from Northern Europe and the Baltic states.
However, Zelensky did not specify the nature of the result. He stated,
“I received a result, but I cannot share what that result was right now. But I did it, and I had a goal in sending the letter to Putin, and I believe I achieved the necessary result.”
In addition to the correspondence with Putin, Zelensky mentioned that he had sent letters to various institutions, including those in the United States and the European Union, over the past month. His aim was to draw more attention to Ukraine and secure additional anti-ballistic capabilities.
He elaborated,
“I had different objectives. For instance, in writing to the United States, I genuinely wanted to shift their focus, even slightly, from the Middle East to the situation in Ukraine. I do not want to, nor can I share all the details with you, but my country requires a significant amount of anti-ballistic capabilities.”
On June 4, Zelensky publicly released an open letter to Putin, suggesting a meeting to “end the war.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga characterized the letter as a serious and substantial proposal for concluding the conflict, which would be formally transmitted through diplomatic channels.
Russian President Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that the Kremlin had received the letter, but noted that Putin would review its contents at a later time. On June 5, Putin responded, indicating that he “does not see the point” in meeting with Zelensky at this time. Previously, he had stated that any meeting with the Ukrainian president should be “final” and intended for signing a treaty, rather than negotiating the terms for ending the war initiated by Russia.
Ukrainian President Zelensky reported a positive outcome from his letter to Putin regarding a potential meeting to end the war, though he did not disclose specifics. The correspondence has been part of Zelensky's broader strategy to secure international support and military capabilities for Ukraine.