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Russian President Vladimir Putin has lost an opportunity to end the war on more favorable terms by rejecting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal for direct peace talks, Ukraine's foreign minister said on Saturday.
"Things will only get worse for Russia," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
According to Sybiha, Russia faces mounting military, economic and diplomatic pressure as the war continues.
"The battlefield losses will continue to grow. Failures will get more humiliating," he said.
He also argued that Russia's economy would face deeper challenges.
"The economy will plunge deeper into recession. More jobs will be lost, taxes will be growing, and inflation will hit those most vulnerable," Sybiha said.
Sybiha said Ukraine would continue its long-range strikes against targets inside Russia.
"There are already no safe places in Russia that can be exempt from Ukraine's long-range sanctions. But their intensity will continue to grow," he said.
The minister added that international pressure on Moscow would not diminish.
"International pressure will not ease. It will only get stronger," Sybiha wrote.
He argued that Russia would eventually have to accept a diplomatic settlement, but under less favorable conditions.
"Moscow will still have to accept a diplomatic solution, but the terms will be far worse," he said.
The comments came after Zelenskyy published an open letter on Thursday calling for direct negotiations with Putin.
In the letter, the Ukrainian president proposed a ceasefire for the duration of negotiations and urged Moscow to engage in face-to-face talks aimed at ending the conflict.
However, Putin said on Friday that he currently sees "no sense" in holding a meeting with Zelenskyy, arguing that previous direct contacts had failed to produce meaningful results.
Speaking at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said Zelenskyy's letter contained "elements of rudeness."
"Is this a way to create conditions for personal meetings and negotiations, or is it creating an environment in which any personal meetings are truly impossible? I think it's the latter," Putin said.
When asked whether a meeting with Zelenskyy was possible, Putin replied that he does not "see the point in meeting."
"The only point for the Ukrainian side is to stop the advance of our Armed Forces, that's all," he said.
In response, Zelenskyy accused Putin of having no genuine interest in ending the war.
"Unfortunately, the Russian side once again chooses war—everyone heard the response today. Weak response," Zelenskyy said in an evening video address posted on X.
The Ukrainian leader said many around the world had been disappointed by Putin's reaction to the proposal.
Zelenskyy argued that Russia's refusal to engage in direct talks demonstrated a lack of willingness to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
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