Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky but only during a "final phase" of negotiations on ending the three-year conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is willing to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but only in a “final phase” of peace talks. He emphasized Moscow’s readiness for substantive negotiations while questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy as Ukraine’s representative.

While Russia and Ukraine have both participated in various international discussions over the conflict, direct peace talks between the two leaders have been elusive.