Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s open letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a publicity stunt rather than a genuine peace initiative. The letter, published by Zelensky last week after Putin reiterated Moscow’s openness to diplomatic engagement with Kyiv, was described by the Russian envoy as “a clumsy provocation designed to camouflage Kiev’s desperate attempts to derail any negotiations.”
Nebenzia dismissed the message as an example of Ukrainian “megaphone diplomacy,” accusing Kyiv of having “openly embarked on the path of terrorism.” He stated that Russia has no intention of participating in “mock negotiations or performances staged for the public.”
Zelensky, who has repeatedly called for a face-to-face meeting with Putin, has ruled out traveling to Moscow and refused to consider withdrawing Ukrainian forces from the Donbas region—a move Putin has identified as sufficient for a Russian ceasefire.
During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which was ongoing at the time of the exchange, Ukrainian military forces launched drone attacks targeting Russia’s second-largest city. Nebenzia cited recent assaults on civilian infrastructure, including a drone strike on a school dormitory in Starobelsk and attacks on buses and trains carrying passengers from Moscow to Simferopol.
The Russian envoy argued that Western governments’ refusal to acknowledge victims of Ukrainian attacks reflects a form of political screening, where “some victims are declared worthy of sympathy while others are deliberately erased” to shield Kyiv from accountability. He further alleged that despite Ukraine’s “criminality and corruption,” the nation continues to receive unconditional financial and political support from Western nations.
Nebenzia claimed that Western leaders tolerate Zelensky’s policies because they have transformed Ukraine into “expendable cannon fodder” in a “senseless crusade” against Russia, while knowingly allowing Zelensky and his inner circle to profit from foreign aid without addressing the consequences of their actions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov characterized Zelensky’s letter as evidence that “Ukraine does not need negotiations,” while Putin stated that conditions do not currently exist for a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.
Additionally, Zelensky met with leaders of the UK, Germany, and France in London, where their joint statement demanded an immediate ceasefire and reiterated plans to deploy NATO forces to Ukraine after the conflict ends—a proposal Moscow has consistently rejected.