June and July could shape Ukraine's future – Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: President's Office)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preparations for upcoming talks linked to the EU, G7 and NATO summits are crucial, adding that June and July "could determine a great deal" for Ukraine on June 9.
"The key thing today is to prepare for the negotiations and decisions we all expect from the upcoming European Union, G7 and NATO summits. June and July of this year could determine a great deal," Zelenskyy said on June 9, during a joint press conference with Estonian President Alar Karis in Tallinn, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
Zelenskyy stressed the need to intensify diplomatic efforts to ensure that Russia has no illusions about benefiting from prolonging the war. According to the president, the Russian military loses more than 30,000 troops killed or seriously wounded every month. At the same time, Ukrainian long-range strikes are inflicting significant damage on Russia's logistics, oil refining sector and defense-industrial complex.
"In temporarily occupied Crimea and in parts of Russia, there are already gasoline shortages and, in some places, no reliable communications ... We must keep up the pressure and push Russia onto a diplomatic track," Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations, Andrii Melnyk, said Kyiv had proposed direct talks between Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin, but Putin rejected the initiative.
Zelenskyy's open letter and Putin's response
On June 4, Zelenskyy published an open letter to Putin, calling for an end to the war "in a format between you and us" and proposing a face-to-face meeting. In the letter, he also said Russia was suffering heavy battlefield losses, with 63% of casualties killed and 37% wounded, repeatedly delaying its goal of capturing Donetsk Oblast, while Russians were growing increasingly dissatisfied with Ukrainian drone strikes and fuel shortages.
The Ukrainian president also said Kyiv was prepared to agree to a full ceasefire to facilitate negotiations and to conduct an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine would officially deliver the letter to Russia through diplomatic channels.
The European Union and the United States positively assessed the Ukrainian president's initiative. Putin, however, said he "saw no point" in meeting with Zelenskyy at this stage.
The Russian leader claimed the letter contained "elements of rudeness" and expressed surprise that Ukraine was proposing talks while continuing to carry out strikes, referring to a May 22 Ukrainian attack on occupied Starobilsk in Luhansk Oblast.
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