As widely reported, this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, proposing direct dialogue and an urgent ceasefire.
The move was “theatrical but extraordinarily effective,” Jan Piekło, a former Polish ambassador to Kyiv, tells Wirtualna Polska in an interview. Zelensky was hitting Putin where he is most susceptible to outside pressure: his public persona and his fear for his personal safety.
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Timing was tactical to amplify the message
The letter’s publication was timed to coincide with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an annual event Putin has traditionally used to demonstrate Russia’s importance on the world stage. Ukrainian drone operations dominated this year’s event, striking Russian infrastructure over 1,000 kilometers from the border.
In his letter, Zelensky specifically mentioned these attacks, saying that most Ukrainians reacted positively to the drones’ arrival at the start of the forum, but added pointedly that Ukraine’s capabilities are considerably superior to what has been shown.
“The Ukrainian argument, in terms of psychological and military superiority, is currently much stronger than Putin’s persuasive power. The Ukrainians successfully attacked critical infrastructure, while Western European politicians, including those from Germany, appeared there. This demonstrates the Kremlin’s powerlessness,” Piekło notes.
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