Putin rejected Zelensky’s proposal for negotiations, calling his open letter a “piece of paper”

Speaking on June 5 at the plenary session of SPIEF-2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the open letter of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, published the day before, in which he proposed holding a personal meeting on neutral territory and declaring a ceasefire.

The Russian leader showed disdain for the document, calling it a “piece of paper” and making it clear that he saw no point in direct contacts.

“Yesterday my press secretary, Mr. Peskov, showed me this letter. I didn’t have time to look. This morning Peskov slipped me this piece of paper again, I looked. Quickly, but nonetheless,” Putin said.

Journalists and analysts drew attention to a characteristic detail of the speech: when commenting on the contents of the letter, Putin mentioned Zelensky’s name only once. The rest of the time, he avoided mentioning the Ukrainian president, calling him “the author of this letter.”

Putin accused Kyiv of “rudeness” and committing crimes amid calls for diplomacy, and in the finale addressed the Russian military, ending his speech with the phrase “Work, brothers.”