Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Putin with an open letter that resembles an ultimatum

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

When you took over Russia more than 26 years ago, many in Ukraine viewed you positively. That was the case. That is now in the past.

Now, the absolute majority of Ukrainians positively perceive the fact that our long-range drones visited the opening of your forum in St. Petersburg, having overcome a distance of more than 1000 kilometers. As you well know, this distance is not the limit of our capabilities.

26 years of your rule have completely changed the agenda in relations between Ukraine and Russia. From discussions of trade turnover and other civilian issues, our peoples have moved to the topic exclusively of hits and losses.

Almost half of your 26 years in power in Russia you have spent in war against Ukraine.

Whatever you say about NATO, geopolitics, and the Russian language, this war is your personal choice – a war without a real reason. This is how history will remember it.

This time could have passed completely differently.

We often hear that you are satisfied with the war. Of course, not in cases concerning the security of your residence in Valdai or the parade in Moscow. Your own life is valuable to you.

But now we all see that Russians are finally ceasing to be satisfied with the fact that the war brings more and more negativity to Russia.

They don't like our drones and missiles.

They don't like the fuel shortages and constant price increases.

They don't like the constant prohibitions.

They don't like your intention to stage a second wave of mobilization to expand the war in another direction in Ukraine or to direct it against some other countries – Russia's neighbors.

They don't like that your war has no end in sight.

Yes, you can still force Russians to exist like this.

But your resources are significantly dwindling.

You will not have enough money and political power to continue buying the loyalty of Russians, as you have done for 26 years. We will do everything to ensure the world takes care of this.

As you yourself say, "everything must be calculated."

Yesterday I received a report on the losses of your army at the front in Ukraine in May. This is again more than 30 thousand killed and seriously wounded Russians. We maintain exactly this figure monthly, and for each of your losses, we have video confirmation – this is not unsubstantiated.

We know that among your losses at the front, 63 percent are killed, and only 37 percent are wounded. In the 21st century, armies cannot afford such a balance. Furthermore, the proportion of killed will increase.

Not that we in Ukraine worry about Russians. After all that your war has brought to Ukraine.

But I care about Ukrainians.

We are losing our people, and every loss pains us. And even if the loss ratio of Ukrainians is one to five or one to six compared to Russian losses, it still matters greatly.

Just as it matters that you are now regularly, every few months, postponing the deadlines for capturing our regions, first and foremost the Donetsk region. You will not capture it this year either.

But we in Ukraine do not want a permanent war. We know well that without war it is immeasurably better. We want to achieve this.

I am sure that the majority of Russians are ready to give a positive answer to this, and you know about it.

Many did not believe that Ukraine would hold out for so long in defense.

You did not believe. And those who advised you also did not believe. That was a mistake.

You did not expect full-scale resistance from Ukraine and did not predict that everything would go this far. But we are all here – in the fifth year of a full-scale confrontation.

Don't be afraid to exit the war – that's the main thing required of you now.

Ukraine maintains its independence. And will maintain it. Contrary to any other predictions.

We have united many in the world in defense of Ukraine and against you. We have found weapons and finances.

We receive support, you – sanctions. And this will continue until there is justice for Ukraine, which we want and which can be achieved.

We will not allow those who try to convince you that sanctions against Russia will be significantly weakened and that support for Ukraine will be significantly reduced without substantial changes in your position regarding Ukraine, to succeed. The example of Orbán shows what disgrace awaits those who choose to help Russia in the war against us.

Ukraine has gone through difficult winters when you tried to destroy our energy infrastructure. We stood firm, and even in the darkness, the resilience of Ukrainians remained.

We have brought the war to your territory, and you would not have coped with this without the help of North Korea. You are the first leader of Russia who was forced to seek help from Pyongyang.

And today you are completely dependent on China – also for the first time in Russia's history.

You expected that Ukrainians would not have enough strength to defend themselves, but now our guys are helping to build defenses for our partners in the Middle East and the Gulf.

You hoped for internal unrest in Ukraine, but your own military formations rebelled against you. June 23 will be another anniversary, and silence will not erase this fact from history.

And now your own officials, businessmen, and propagandists look at you with obvious fatigue. The world sees this.

The world is not tired of Ukraine, which you long relied on. But there is fatigue from Russia even among those in the global world who help you circumvent sanctions and keep the economy afloat.

You cannot help but notice this. After 26 years, old age has begun to take its toll. The further it goes, the greater the fatigue from you will be.

We have seen intelligence documents that you are now considering war plans for 2027 and 2028. We also know that you hope that ballistics will do for you what everything else has not. You want to drag Belarus even further into the war, and now we are forced to prepare for that too. We see that you are playing some game with Transnistria. Your propagandists threaten all of Russia's neighbors one way or another. Do you really want to go through all this?

The choice is now yours.

Enough of war.

Ukraine proposes to end this war.

It must be done honestly, with dignity, and guarantee that there will be no new rekindling of war.

We see that the United States is paying all its attention to the issue of Iran, and it is wrong to simply wait for their turn to address the war in Europe.

Ukraine proposes to end the war in a format between us and you.

I offer you a meeting.

Everyone heard your representatives smilingly say that I could allegedly come to Moscow. But after such 26 years, there is nothing for a Ukrainian leader to do in your capital, just as there is nothing for a Russian leader to do in Kyiv.

There are countries that traditionally host leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Turkey, countries of the Arab world – many can and want to host this meeting.

It is the leaders who decide key issues – it has always been and always will be so.

I propose to set a precise date for the meeting.

We heard that you were promised in Alaska the resolution of some things concerning Ukraine and Europe. But you see that Ukrainian and European issues are not resolved in Anchorage.

Other designated participants can join the bilateral track initiated between us.

Since the war continues in Europe, and we in Ukraine need security guarantees, and you want security guarantees for yourselves, the participation of those who can truly act as guarantors seems logical.

We believe that Europe's participation is necessary – those who truly have the ability to influence the situation.

We believe that the United States should be in the process, and this is what can define the configuration of a new security architecture in our part of the world.

We have already had experience with many agreements with Russia and the Minsk agreements, which did not work. Therefore, we must first find our bilateral answers to the existing questions, and not hide from complex issues behind any formulations, technical groups, or loss of time in shuttle diplomacy.

With your war, you have forever separated Ukraine and Russia.

The frontline now is the line from which diplomacy must begin.

Ukraine is ready to cease fire completely – for the duration of negotiations. And this is standard practice, which the circumstances around Iran now confirm. An attempt to establish real silence is the best start to begin talking to each other. We believe that this will not just be an attempt, but a real ceasefire if you want it.

You know that the United States can ensure monitoring of the ceasefire along the cessation line.

Ukraine is ready for an exchange of prisoners of war on an "all for all" basis, and this could be a good prologue to ending the war.

Serious steps must be taken for the return of civilians and children who were taken away during the war.

It is necessary to determine what the future will be for all subsequent generations of Ukrainians and Russians.

If you personally do not come to the idea in your thoughts that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue to fight for its existence. We will have those who support us.

But you will also have to fight much more for your existence – not Russia's, but your personal. And this is not a threat from me or Ukraine. These are facts of Russian history that you know well: when Russia gets tired, changes happen.

We can work towards such fatigue.

You can stop your war.

Eternal memory to all whose lives were taken by this war.

Glory to Ukraine!

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