Russian President Vladimir Putin ‌says he sees no reason to meet Volodymyr ‌Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they ‌hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to the war.

The Kremlin chief said Zelensky’s letter was rude in parts and did not come across as a sincere offer to hold talks.

“This ‌letter contains ‌some rather ⁠rude remarks. Was it a way to ​create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the second,” Putin said.

Asked on stage at Russia’s annual economic ⁠forum whether he would meet the ‌Ukrainian ​leader, Putin said: “I don’t see any point for now.”

In a ​meeting with ‌international media a day earlier, Putin stuck to his hardline ​stance on the war and said his troops were advancing on the battlefield every day.

But he also ​said ​US President Donald Trump’s ​proposals for peace could end the fighting ‌if Ukraine was ready to compromise.

Both sides accuse the other of refusing to compromise.

Earlier on Friday, Russian nationalists dismissed Zelensky’s letter as a malicious public relations stunt designed to ​stir up discontent inside Russia rather than end the war.

Despite their differences, Russia and Ukraine exchanged more prisoners of war on Friday.

Russia recovered 185 of its own soldiers and handed over an equal number of Ukrainian prisoners, the Russian defence ministry said.

Russian authorities thanked the United Arab Emirates for brokering the exchange.

The handover again took place at the border between Ukraine and Belarus.

Zelensky confirmed the return of 185 Ukrainian soldiers.

A civilian was also released, he wrote on social media.

Some of those returning had been held by Russia since 2022, he said.

Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war on a regular basis.

It is the only area where dialogue between the two sides has functioned more than four years after the start of the war.

The previous round took place on May 15, when the two warring parties each handed over 205 captured soldiers.

In his letter to Putin, Zelensky also proposed a full exchange of all prisoners of war as a step towards peace.

Meanwhile, the International ‌Atomic Energy Agency said on ‌Friday it ‌was aware of a serious incident at the Zaporizhzhia ‌nuclear ‌plant ⁠which injured some ​Russian military personnel, shortly after Russia said ⁠Ukraine broke ‌an agency-brokered ​ceasefire with ​an attack.

IAEA chief ‌Rafael Grossi ​urged maximum military restraint and full ​adherence ​to ​the ceasefire, ‌according to the statement posted on X.