Putin invited Kyiv to take part in "serious negotiations" aimed at "moving towards a lasting, strong peace" while speaking from the Kremlin on Sunday. He did not respond to the urge from the U.K. and European leaders to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine starting on Monday.

A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, is getting closer, according to the Kremlin’s top foreign policy aide.“I think we’re moving” toward this, Yuri Ushakov told state television Thursday in response to a question about progress on the issue.