Putin says there is no point meeting Zelensky over ending Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said helium does not spot immoderate constituent successful gathering Volodymyr Zelensky aft the Ukrainian person requested face-to-face talks implicit ending the warfare betwixt the 2 nations.

Zelensky sent an unfastened missive connected Thursday calling for nonstop negotiations with Putin, penning that it was "wrong to simply wait" for the war, which began with Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful 2022, to go the absorption of US attraction erstwhile more.

The Ukrainian president besides requested a ceasefire, portion striking a defiant, at-times mocking tone.

Putin called the enactment "rude" and refused the petition for a meeting, reiterating his presumption that bid talks should precede immoderate ceasefire.

"Was it a mode to make the conditions for a face-to-face gathering oregon a mode not to acceptable up a face-to-face meeting? I deliberation it was the second," helium said during remarks astatine Russia's yearly economical forum successful St Petersburg connected Friday.

Putin restated his presumption that a ceasefire would lone let Ukraine to regroup, portion concessions Moscow is seeking from Kyiv stay unmet.

"The lone constituent is for the Ukrainian broadside to halt the beforehand of our equipped forces. But we request agreements - not for six months, not for 3 months, but for the agelong term," helium said.

"Let the experts get to enactment and travel up with immoderate solutions. After that, we tin meet."

Putin said helium would lone extremity the warfare erstwhile Russia's goals had been met.

"Military actions volition extremity immoderate day, we assume. Without a doubt, they volition extremity erstwhile we person achieved the goals we person acceptable for ourselves."

Russia's longstanding presumption is that Ukraine should retreat from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, arsenic good arsenic wantonness efforts to articulation Nato.

But Kyiv has refused to springiness up immoderate territory, arguing that immoderate concessions to Moscow would embolden it to invade again successful the future, noting its full-scale penetration came 8 years aft it annexed the Crimean peninsula.

Zelensky had stated successful his missive that "after 26 years successful power, property is opening to instrumentality its toll" connected Putin, portion drafting attraction to a caller Ukrainian strikes connected Russian territory - including 1 connected St Petersburg connected Thursday helium described arsenic "paying a visit".

Putin said the missive "contains immoderate alternatively rude remarks" and asked if helium would conscionable Ukrainian leader, helium responded "I don't spot immoderate constituent for now".

The contented of Zelensky's missive had raised hopes of bid successful immoderate quarters, including the White House.

US President Donald Trump said "it would beryllium great" if the 2 leaders did meet.

Robert Brovdi, Ukraine's drone commander, said they had been progressive successful "stealing" Ukrainian grain, and transferring substance and subject supplies.

Azerbaijan's overseas ministry said 5 radical had been killed successful attacks connected 2 of the ships successful the oversea of Azov. It did not bespeak who it thought had carried retired the onslaught and said the boats did not beryllium to Azerbaijan.

One drone operated by Ukraine exploded successful the Romanian Black Sea larboard of Constanta. Ukrainian operators said it was knocked disconnected people by Russian physics interference.

At slightest 13 radical person been killed and 70 others injured successful a bid of Russian attacks connected Ukraine successful the past day, officials person said.

Four died aft a dairy mill was deed extracurricular Kyiv, portion a drone onslaught connected a petrol presumption successful Kherson killed a 35-year-old woman.