Volodymyr Zelensky summons Vladimir Putin for face-to-face meeting as Russia's economy crumbles

Volodymyr Zelensky has summoned Vladimir Putin for a face-to-face meeting in a bid to end the Russian premier's four-year invasion of his country.

The Ukrainian President published an extraordinary open letter last night calling for a meeting between the two world leaders, adding he was ready for a "full ceasefire".

Mr Putin - who was speaking in St Petersburg as the letter was published - said he hoped the war would end as soon as possible.

So far, Mr Zelensky has called for a ceasefire before peace talks are held, while his Russian counterpart wants his war to continue while negotiations are held.

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Mr Zelensky said the majority of Russians had become tired of the war and its economic consequences, describing it as "a war without a real cause".

He said Russians "do not like" Ukrainian missiles and drones, gas shortages and rising prices and that there was "no end in sight to your war".

And in a chilling twist, he highlighted how Ukraine's drones "paid a visit" to Mr Putin's home city of St Petersburg, covering a distance of more than 1,000 kilometres.

"As you know very well, that distance is not the limit of our capabilities," Mr Zelensky's letter said.

In another blow to Mr Putin just days ago, Russia's top finance officials and even its central bank have demanded he reins in defence spending in order to stabilise the economy.

And the Ukrainian President, in his open letter, said Russia was now "fully dependent" on China, after Mr Putin's state visit to Beijing.

Defence officials have requested billions of extra dollars to fund the conflict, according to Bloomberg.

Directly addressing Mr Putin, the letter went on: "Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now."

The Ukrainian President noted that Kyiv had received intelligence indicating the Kremlin planned to stretch the war as far into the future as 2028, that the Russian President hopes "ballistic missiles will achieve for you what everything else has failed to achieve", and that Russia planned to bring Belarus further into the war.

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In St Petersburg, Mr Putin warned Moscow had not yet used its Oreshnik hypersonic missile in real combat conditions.

The Oreshnik is a nuclear-capable projectile with a range of over 3,100 miles, which he previously claimed was impossible to intercept - though it appeared to malfunction in testing last week.

"Ukraine proposes to end this war," Mr Zelensky wrote. "This must be done honestly, with dignity, and with guarantees that the war will not be reignited."

He continued: "We see that the United States is fully focused on the issue of Iran, and it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the center of its attention.

"Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us - and you. I am proposing a meeting.

"Everyone heard your representatives, smiling, say that I could supposedly come to Moscow. But after these 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."

Mr Zelensky named Switzerland, Turkey, and "countries of the Arab world" as locations for a potential meeting, and called for a clear date to be set.

He also called Europe and the United States to be directly involved in talks, adding that Washington could be involved in monitoring a ceasefire between the two countries during peace negotiations.

The Kremlin confirmed Mr Putin was aware of the letter, but had not familiarised himself with its contents.

On the topic of peace, he told reporters: "We are certainly prepared and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine through peaceful means. Specifically, on the basis we discussed during our meeting with President Trump in Anchorage.

"Russia agrees to those compromises we discussed in Anchorage. The Ukrainian side must also agree to these compromises. Then the conflict will quickly come to a natural conclusion."

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