Russia-Ukraine war: Putin dismisses Zelensky's offer to meet, calls his letter ‘boorish’ after May 22 drone attack

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday turned down a proposal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a face-to-face meeting aimed at discussing the conflict that has continued for more than four years, saying such a meeting would serve no purpose.

The proposal was outlined in a letter sent by Zelensky on Thursday, the first publicly known direct communication from the Ukrainian leader to Putin since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in 2022. In the message, Zelensky slammed Putin’s lengthy tenure in power and also included remarks targeting the Russian leader’s age.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin described Zelensky's public letter proposing a direct meeting as “boorish.”

“Is it a way to create conditions for personal meetings and talks, or create an environment which makes any personal meetings impossible?” Putin said during a question-and-answer session at the forum. “I think it’s the second," he stated, according to AP.

Putin further stated that an unnamed Russian businessman traveled to Kyiv last month and met Zelenskyy to convey the proposal for a face-to-face meeting.

As per AP, responding to remarks by about his age and lengthy time in office, Putin noted that several world leaders are older than him and stressed that “the main thing isn’t age; the main thing is the ability to work.”

Putin also took a swipe at Zelensky over his contentious meeting in the Oval Office in 2025. He expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for “educating” Zelensky “before the eyes of the whole world” and for teaching him what Putin described as an appropriate dress code.

“There is still a lot to be done,” he stated.

Zelensky recognised that US priorities have shifted, saying Ukraine cannot afford to wait for the administration of Trump to refocus on ending the war while Washington remains heavily engaged with the conflict involving Iran.

Speaking in Washington on Thursday, Trump mentioned it “would be great” if Putin and Zelensky were to meet directly.

Putin has previously invited Zelensky to Moscow for talks, an offer the Ukrainian leader firmly declined. Last month, Putin said he would not rule out a meeting in a third country, but only after both sides have a final agreement ready to be signed.

Putin, once again, on Thursday dismissed Zelensky’s call for an immediate ceasefire, maintaining that Russia is seeking a broader and lasting settlement rather than a short-term pause in hostilities.

Meanwhile, Putin, in a speech at the forum earlier on Friday, said emerging and developing countries are playing a growing role in the global economy, while the economic share of Western nations has declined.

He said Western countries were weakening the global economy and financial system through unilateral sanctions. He added that by freezing Russian assets abroad, these nations had damaged confidence in their own currencies.

“The sanctions and blocking of Russia’s sovereign reserves have irreversibly impacted the standing of international currencies, the dollar and the euro. Just like Russia, any other country could lose access to their legitimate assets in dollars or euros, as well as Western financial and payment systems," he stated.