Russia’s Vladimir Putin said he’s willing to meet with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky but suggested the democratically elected leader couldn’t legally sign a peace deal.

Russia's Vladimir Putin said he was ready to meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky but only during a "final phase" of negotiations to end the war.

Russia wants to end the war in Ukraine "as soon as possible," preferably through peaceful means, and is ready to continue negotiations — provided that Kyiv and its Western allies are willing to engage,