The Kremlin said that there is no current basis for talks between Russia and Ukraine as none of the prerequisites are in place, a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Moscow would be prepared to talk to Ukraine with the United States and Europe. The Russian leader said that his country will continue to defend its national interests as well.

"In Ukraine, those who are aggressive towards Russia, and in Europe and in the United States - do they want to negotiate? Let them. But we will do it based on our national interests," Vladimir Putin told a meeting of the defence leadership in Moscow.

"We will not give up what is ours," he asserted.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine withdrew from the negotiation process in 2022 "at Britain's insistence" and "forbade" negotiations with Russia. But Ukraine has repeatedly said that peace can only based on a full Russian withdrawal from all the territory that Moscow has seized since the war began in February 2022.

What Vladimir Putin said on Russia-Ukraine war

Russia needed better military communication, reconnaissance, targeting and satellite capability, Vladimir Putin noted while praising Russia's defence industry for “responding faster than West.”

What Zelensky said on war in year-end address

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that no one knows when the war with Russia will end. He said, "I think that no one knows the answer. Even respected people, our commanders and our Western partners, who say that this is a war for many years, they do not know. If we don't loose our resilience, we will end the war sooner".

On US aid, Ukrainian leader said, “I’m certain the US won’t betray us — and what has been agreed upon will be fulfilled."

Source: Hindustan Times