Russia is 'open to negotiations' with Ukraine, Moscow claims

The Kremlin has said it's open to negotiations with Ukraine to bring an end to Russia's ongoing war of aggression against its neighbour but says it needs clarification on "how ready Kyiv is" to participate in peace talks.

"Russia as a whole is open to the negotiation process, but first we need to understand how ready Ukraine, the Ukrainian side, is for this, and how much the Ukrainian side has, let's say, permission from its curators, because so far you see, very very different statements are being made, and it is not entirely clear yet", Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said.

"In addition to the general problem with Zelenskyy's legitimacy, there is also a problem, in fact, with a de facto legislative ban on any contacts and negotiations with the Russian side," he added.

In the run-up to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin and other prominent Russian politicians have made multiple claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a "puppet of the West", alleging that all decisions were being made in Washington or Brussels and not in Kyiv.

Russian authorities and state-owned media have also repeatedly tried to delegitimise the Ukrainian leader, lobbing a series of allegations against Zelenskyy, such as him being a "Nazi" or a "drug user".

No evidence was ever provided for any of the claims. Furthermore, none of the allegations have been proven true or independently confirmed.

The authorities in Kyiv have repeatedly stated that the only acceptable peace offer would include a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from all occupied areas, including Crimea, which Moscow unilaterally annexed in 2014.

Ukraine seeks 'common ground' with China

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he is seeking "common ground" in talks with his Chinese counterpart about ending his country's war with Russia.

Kuleba met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Guangzhou on Wednesday. It's his first visit to the country since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"I am convinced that a just peace in Ukraine is in China’s strategic interests, and China’s role as a global force for peace is important," Kuleba said in opening remarks.

He also restated Ukraine's position that it is ready to engage with Russia in negotiations provided that the Kremlin is willing to negotiate in good faith, something he says he has not observed on the Russian side.

Zelenskyy echoed Kuleba's words on Chinese relations, saying in a video statement, "There is a clear signal that China supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty".

Zelenskyy also said it's been "confirmed" that "China will not supply weapons to Russia".

Russian strikes continue in Ukraine

It comes as Moscow continues its offensive in Ukraine, with the Russian Ministry of Defence releasing footage it says shows its artillery hitting Ukrainian army positions in the zone of so-called 'special military operation'.

The footage also shows the crews of Ka-52 helicopters striking the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Air Force claims to shot down 25 out of 38 Russian 'Shahed' drones in one of the biggest overnight drone strikes launched by Russia.

It said the drones were attacking Ukrainian infrastructure south of the Odesa region and in Ukraine's central regions.

Regional authorities have reported on Telegram that Russian attacks across Ukraine have killed at least four civilians and injured 30 in the past day.