Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a proposal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a direct meeting to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. He made it clear that meeting with Zelenskyy at this moment serves no purpose. The BBC reported this news online.

Earlier, last Thursday, Zelenskyy sent an open letter to Putin, calling for direct talks to end the war that began with Russia’s invasion in 2022. In the letter, Zelenskyy wrote that it would be a mistake to wait for the war to return to the center of US attention. Alongside talks, he also requested a ceasefire. However, the tone of his letter was quite challenging and somewhat mocking. Putin described the letter as “inappropriate” and dismissed the request for a meeting. Standing firm on his previous position, he reiterated that a peace agreement must be reached before any ceasefire. On Friday, while speaking at Russia’s annual economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin was asked whether he would accept Zelenskyy’s proposal.

In response, Putin said, “For the time being, I see no point in it.” He added, “Was this a way to create an atmosphere for a face-to-face meeting, or was it a way to ensure the meeting wouldn’t happen? I think it was the latter.” Following Putin’s response, Zelenskyy remarked that Russia is “once again choosing war.”

Writing on his Telegram channel, he stated, “He [Putin] does not want to end the war. I think many people around the world are disappointed by this response.” Addressing the letter during his speech, Putin reiterated that a ceasefire would merely give Ukraine an opportunity to regroup, while the concessions Moscow seeks from Kyiv remain unfulfilled.

The Russian President said, “Their [Ukraine’s] only objective is to halt the advance of our armed forces. But we need an agreement not for six months or three months, but for the long term.” Let the experts work and find a solution first; then we can sit for a meeting.

Putin made it clear that he would end the war only once Russia’s objectives were achieved. Russia’s long-standing position is that Ukraine must withdraw its troops from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions and abandon its bid to join NATO. However, Kyiv has consistently refused to cede any territory.