Zelensky: ‘The one thing I want to tell Putin’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said there is one thing he wants to tell Russian President Vladimir Putin in the ongoing war, a message focused on ending hostilities quickly and moving toward practical diplomacy.

In a post on X, Zelensky wrote: “I don’t need historical shit to end this war and move to diplomacy. Because it’s just a delay tactic. I read no less history books than Putin. And I learned a lot. I know more about his country than he knows about Ukraine… The only thing I want to speak about with him is that I think that we need to resolve it in the most successful way. I mean to end this war quickly.”

Zelensky added that his personal knowledge of Russia, gained from visiting many cities across the country, informs his approach and strengthens his insistence on practical negotiations rather than drawn-out debate over history.

The comments come as international diplomacy struggles to keep pace with continued fighting on the ground. US-mediated talks in Geneva earlier this week ended without agreement on a ceasefire or a comprehensive peace framework, with Ukrainian officials accusing Moscow of stalling and Russian negotiators describing the discussions as inconclusive.

Meanwhile, hostilities persist across multiple fronts. Russian forces conducted attacks in the Zaporizhia region, causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, while Ukrainian counter-strikes reportedly disrupted power supplies in Russia’s Belgorod and Pskov Oblasts, according to local authorities. In addition, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Belarus and its President, Alexander Lukashenko, for allegedly supporting Russian military operations, including drone and missile attacks launched from Belarusian territory.

Adding to the strain, Hungary suspended diesel deliveries to Ukraine following attacks on the Druzhba pipeline, a vital fuel conduit, highlighting fractures within European logistical support for Kyiv.