Putin says there is no point meeting Zelensky over ending Ukraine war

The Russian president's refusal comes after his Ukrainian counterpart wrote an open letter calling for face-to-face talks.

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Zelensky sent an open letter on Thursday calling for direct negotiations with Putin, writing that it was "wrong to simply wait" for the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, to become the focus of US attention once more.

The Ukrainian president also requested a ceasefire, while striking a defiant, at-times mocking tone.

Putin called the note "rude" and refused the request for a meeting, reiterating his position that peace talks should precede any ceasefire.

"I don't see any point for now," he said when asked whether he would take up Zelensky's offer while speaking at Russia's annual economic forum in St Petersburg on Friday.