Putin Reviews Zelensky’s Letter and Responds at SPIEF 2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had briefly reviewed an open letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who recently proposed direct negotiations and a personal meeting aimed at discussing an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking during the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026, Putin revealed that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had attempted to show him the letter on two separate occasions before he finally had an opportunity to read it. According to Putin, Peskov first presented the document on June 4 and then again on the morning of June 5.