Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy published an open letter to President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (June 4) in which he proposed the two leaders meet to agree an end to more than four years of war, warning that Kyiv stood ready to fight on otherwise. (6141-UKRAINE-CRISIS/ZELENSKIY-OPEN LETTER)

INTERNET (RELEASED ON JUNE 4, 2026) (WEBSITE OF UKRAINE’S PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE - Access all) (MUTE)

1. SCREEN RECORDING OF PART OF OPEN LETTER FROM UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN

2. SCREENSHOT OF OPEN LETTER READING (English):

"The world has not grown tired of Ukraine, as you long hoped it would. But there is growing fatigue with Russia — even among those in the wider world who help you bypass sanctions and keep your economy afloat.

You cannot fail to notice it. After 26 years in power, age is beginning to take its toll. And with time, the fatigue with you will only grow.

We have seen intelligence reports showing that you are now considering plans to continue the war into 2027 and 2028. We also know that you hope ballistic missiles will achieve for you what everything else has failed to achieve. You want to draw Belarus even deeper into this war, and we are now forced to prepare for that as well. We see that you are trying to orchestrate something around Transnistria. Your propagandists threaten, in one way or another, every country neighboring Russia. Do you really want to go through all of this?

The choice is yours now."

3. SCREENSHOT OF OPEN LETTER READING (English):

"Enough of war.

Ukraine proposes to end this war.

This must be done honestly, with dignity, and with guarantees that the war will not be reignited.

We see that the United States is fully focused on the issue of Iran, and it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the center of its attention.

Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you.

I am proposing a meeting."

4. SCREENSHOT OF OPEN LETTER READING (English):

"Everyone heard your representatives, smiling, say that I could supposedly come to Moscow. But after these 26 years, there is nothing for a Ukrainian leader to do in your capital — just as there is nothing for a Russian leader to do in Kyiv.

There are countries that have traditionally hosted leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Türkiye, the countries of the Arab world — many are able and willing to host such a meeting.

It is leaders who resolve the key issues. That has always been the case, and it always will be.

I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting."

The Kremlin is aware of Zelenskiy's letter, and Putin will be informed about it later, Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said on Thursday (June 4). (6153-UKRAINE-CRISIS/ZELENSKIY-LETTER-KREMLIN)

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (JUNE 4, 2026) (PAVEL ZARUBIN VIA TELEGRAM - Mandatory credit "Pavel Zarubin", No use Russia)

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) KREMLIN SPOKESMAN, DMITRY PESKOV / ROSSIYA-1 REPORTER, PAVEL ZARUBIN, SAYING:

ZARUBIN: “Zelenskiy has published an open letter to Putin.”

PESKOV. : “Yes, we saw it. He published it during an event with the president. The president hasn't had the opportunity to read it yet.”

ZARUBIN : “And you?”

PESKOV : “I have.”

ZARUBIN: “And what could you perhaps say in response to Mr. Zelenskiy?”

PESKOV : “I can say that it will be reported to the president after the end of the working part of the Uzbek president's visit.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (June 4) it would be great if the leaders of Ukraine and Russia met to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. (6204-UKRAINE-CRISIS/TRUMP)

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JUNE 4, 2026) (UNRESTRICTED POOL – Access all)

6. U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SEATED AT DESK IN OVAL OFFICE LISTENING TO JOURNALIST’S QUESTION

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOURNALIST ASKING:

(QUESTION STARTS OVER SHOT #1)

“President Trump. This was just crossing as we were heading in here. President Zelensky wrote a letter to President Putin. He wants the two of them to meet, to hash out the end of the war in Ukraine, because he thinks you are too busy with the war in Iran. Is he right?”

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“Well, I don't know. I'm glad that they're, may be talking about meeting. I think we had a lot to do with it. I know exactly what you're doing, but, I think it would be great if they met. They should get it done.”

Ukrainians expressed scepticism on Friday (June 5) that an open letter by Zelenskiy to Putin would help bring an end to more than four years of war. (6269-UKRAINE-CRISIS/ZELENSKIY-LETTER-KYIV)

KYIV, UKRAINE (JUNE 5, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

9. VARIOUS OF INDEPENDENCE SQUARE

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) 50-YEAR-OLD BANK EMPLOYEE, SERHII KHYMCHENKO, SAYING:

“This letter is pointless. How can we stop the war when Russia has such unreasonable demands? The Russian Federation has made it clear that they want all of Ukraine. Zelenskiy could write 100 letters—it wouldn’t make a difference.”

11. VARIOUS OF MAKESHIFT MEMORIAL

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) 18-YEAR-OLD VOLUNTEER, MARTIN BOBIAK, SAYING:

“Vladimir Putin has ignored more than one such letter, more than one such appeal. I personally don’t expect any feedback from him, but from a diplomatic standpoint, this is a fairly strong letter, which I think is addressed more to the Western world than to Vladimir Putin. We are simply showing that we are open to negotiations and to peace in general.”

13. UKRAINIAN FLAG

14. UKRAINIAN FLAGS OUTSIDE BUILDING ON EMPTY STREET

Putin said on Thursday (June 4) it was not necessary for the fighting in Ukraine to stop for peace talks to take place.

Putin made the comment to journalists in response to a question about whether he opposed a ceasefire being brokered as a precursor to talks. (6146-RUSSIA-FORUM/PUTIN-CEASEFIRE)

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (JUNE 4, 2026) (HOST BROADCASTER - Access all)

15. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN'S MEETING WITH SENIOR EDITORS OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA IN PROGRESS

16. PUTIN SPEAKING

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING:

"(STARTS OVER REPORTER LISTENING) There's no need for a suspension of hostilities to begin negotiations. No need indeed. We had negotiations, and the fighting didn't stop."

18. MEETING IN PROGRESS

19. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING:

"Of course, they want to stop this (the advances of Russian forces), but it is better to stop not just this, but to stop the war as a whole, by agreeing to the compromises that were discussed in Anchorage (during Trump-Putin summit)."

20. MEETING IN PROGRESS

The last face to face meeting between Zelenskiy and Putin took place during a summit in Paris in December 9, 2019, when the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany sat down for peace talks aimed at alleviating the Ukrainian conflict.

Putin and Zelenskiy met in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, the talks' host, at a roundtable meeting that saw no handshakes exchanged between the conflicting leaders. (6287-UKRAINE-CRISIS/ZELENSKIY-PUTIN-ARCHIVE)

PARIS, FRANCE (ARCHIVE - DECEMBER 9, 2019) (RUSSIAN POOL - Access all)

21. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, THEN-GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, WALKING INTO ROOM FOR TALKS

22. LEADERS TAKING SEATS

23. ZELENSKIY PUTTING GLASS ON TABLE, MACRON AND PUTIN GESTURING TO ZELENSKIY TO LOOK INTO CAMERAS BEHIND HIS BACK, ZELENSKIY TURNING, SMILING

24. ZELENSKIY SMILING

25. ZELENSKIY SAYING (French): "Merci beaucoup" / LEADERS SEATED

26. PUTIN SITTING

27. FLAGS OF RUSSIA, UKRAINE, FRANCE AND GERMANY

PARIS, FRANCE (ARCHIVE - DECEMBER 9, 2019) (AGENCY POOL - Access all)

28. MACRON, ZELENSKIY, MERKEL AND PUTIN ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE

29. PUTIN TALKING (NOT A SOUNDBITE)

30. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS,

31. ZELENSKIY TALKING (NOT A SOUNDBITE)

A marine drone of the type used in the war in neighbouring Ukraine self-detonated on Friday (June 5) in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta near an oil terminal, without causing any casualties, the defence ministry said. (6320-UKRAINE-CRISIS/ROMANIA-DRONE-MOMENT)

CONSTANTA, ROMANIA (JUNE 5, 2026) (OBSERVATOR ANTENA1 - Must on screen courtesy OBSERVATOR ANTENA1. No Use Romania.)

32. SHIP IN PORT (AUDIO OF EXPLOSION) / THICK BLACK SMOKE RISING ABOVE WATER, SHIPS DOCKED NEARBY

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

WRAP OF EDITS RELATING TO OPEN LETTER FROM UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN

EDITORS NOTE: THIS IS A WRAP AND CONTAINS NO NEW MATERIAL. EDIT NUMBERS AND SCRIPT INFORMATION ARE INCLUDED IN THE SHOTLIST

EDITOR'S PLEASE NOTE: 'ARCHIVE' MISSING FROM SLATE BUT INCLUDED IN SHOTLIST

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT