JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in an open letter to the Russian leader on Thursday, saying he was also ready for a "full ceasefire."
"Ukraine proposes to end this war through direct engagement between us - and you. I propose a meeting," President Zelenskyy said in the letter, which was published on the Ukrainian Presidential website, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (5/6).
"Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire during the negotiations," he added.
In the letter, President Zelensky also proposed a full exchange of prisoners of war, saying this could be "a good prelude to ending the war."
There was no immediate comment from President Putin, who was wrapping up a meeting with foreign journalists in Saint Petersburg when the letter was published.
The letter marks one of the few opportunities President Zelensky has had to make a direct appeal to President Putin since Russia's 2022 invasion.
It is known that President Zelensky has repeatedly called for a meeting with President Putin, saying only face-to-face talks will produce an agreement on the territory.
President Putin himself has hinted that he will only meet President Zelenskyy after a peace agreement is ready.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine have been stalled for months, as U.S.-led negotiations remain frozen over the Iran war.
Previous rounds of negotiations between the two sides in Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, and Geneva failed to produce a breakthrough on the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement.
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