New Delhi, June 5 -- Ukraine's president has issued a rare open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, combining sharp criticism of Russia's war effort with a proposal for direct negotiations aimed at ending the conflict that has entered its fifth year.

In the letter published on June 4, the Ukrainian leader accused Putin of launching a "war without a real cause" and urged him to agree to face-to-face talks in a neutral country to seek a lasting settlement.

The Ukrainian president argued that relations between Kyiv and Moscow have been fundamentally transformed during Putin's 26 years in power.

"Whatever you may say about NATO, geopolitics, or the Russian language, this war is your personal choice - a war without a real cause. Tha...