'I am proposing a meeting': Zelenskyy seeks direct talks with Putin, suggests neutral venue

Key points

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to hold direct talks, and said that Ukraine could not afford to simply wait for the Trump administration to refocus on the war while Washington remains heavily engaged in the conflict with Iran.In an open letter - his first public message to the Russian leader since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 - Zelenskyy criticised Putin's 26-year rule.“I am proposing a meeting,” Zelenskyy wrote.Zelenskyy proposed that any negotiations take place in a neutral country, ruling out both Moscow and Kyiv as venues.
• He suggested Switzerland, Turkey and Arab nations as possible hosts.“It is leaders who resolve the key issues.
• That has always been the case, and it always will be.
• I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting," he added.He also called for the return of Ukrainian civilians and children taken to Russia during...