Overview
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an open letter proposing a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin on neutral ground with European and U.S. representatives as guarantors.
- Putin rejected the offer on Friday, calling parts of the letter insolent and saying he saw no sense in a meeting while renewing an offer to hold talks in Moscow.
- The Kremlin stressed that Moscow will insist on full control of Donbass as a precondition for any peace deal and Putin cited claimed territorial gains that Kyiv disputes.
- The Kremlin reported a private four‑eyes meeting between Putin and former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, a move that Moscow framed as constructive and that drew skepticism in EU capitals over an acceptable mediator.
- European leaders welcomed Zelenskyy’s initiative and will hold E3 consultations with him in London, while battlefield incidents — including Ukrainian strikes near St. Petersburg — disputed territorial claims and Russia’s reported economic slowdown add pressure to the negotiating landscape.