Putin is willing to have meeting with Zelenskyy, Russia says
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Russia has said Vladimir Putin is open to a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the war in Ukraine.
A Kremlin spokesman said on Friday any meeting would have to be "for decision-making, not talks".
This is the second time in the space of a day that Russia has talked up the prospect of a meeting with Ukraine's president following Putin's invasion of the country.
On Thursday, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had said Putin would not refuse a meeting with Zelenskyy to discuss "specific" issues.
Zelenskyy himself has previously called for direct negotiations. "Sit down with me to negotiate, just not at 30 metres,” he said last week. This is a reference to the long meeting tables Putin uses - reportedly to avoid COVID infection.
“I don’t bite," Zelenskyy said. "What are you afraid of?”
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It comes as the huge convoy of Russian armoured vehicles has reportedly dispersed to towns around the capital, Kyiv, with fears it could soon be encircled.
The Ministry of Defence said earlier on Friday that Russia will likely “re-posture” for a renewed offensive after its limited progress so far due to logistical issues and strong Ukrainian resistance.
"This will probably include operations against the capital Kyiv," it said in an intelligence update.
US intelligence leaders said earlier this week that Putin may seek an exit from Ukraine if his war effort continues to stall, but that escalation of the conflict is likely to happen beforehand.
CIA director William Burns warned: "I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now. He's likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties."
The United Nations said on Thursday that at least 549 civilians have been killed following the invasion, but that the actual death toll will be much higher. About 2.5 million people have been displaced from their homes.
