Kathmandu. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold direct talks to end the more than four-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In an open letter, Zelenskyy said the proposal to end the war must be made “honestly, with dignity and with the guarantee that there will be no re-war”.

Zelenskyy said the proposed meeting could take place in Switzerland, Turkey, or other Arab countries that have traditionally played a mediation role for international negotiations.

He said his country was ready to implement a full ceasefire during the duration of the negotiation process, adding that international partners, including the United States, could help by monitoring compliance with the ceasefire.

Zelenskyy insisted that if Russia rejected the ceasefire, Kyiv would continue to fight for its existence.

In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomed the ceasefire proposal and that Zelensky could travel to Moscow at any time.

Peskov said Putin had not yet reviewed the open letter and would be briefed soon. The open letter was exchanged as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict were stalled.

Meanwhile, Putin said any long-term agreement would have to address what he described as the “root cause” of the war, including Russia’s security concerns.