Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that his country could hold peace talks with Ukraine, but ruled out speaking directly with President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he called "illegitimate".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published on Friday that he saw no objective signs that Ukraine or the West were ready for peace talks despite all their increasingly loud statements about the need for such talks.

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan 25 that allies should work towards determining a format for any upcoming peace talks with Russia and that Kyiv must be involved for successful negotiations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Ukraine could find a legal way to hold peace talks with Russia on ending their nearly three-year-old war, but Moscow sees no willingness on Kyiv's part to engage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin fears strong leaders and meaningful negotiations. The Kremlin chief’s reluctance to engage in peace talks, he said,

Speaking previously about possible talks, the Russian President emphasised that any peace deal should respect the “realities on the ground.” View on euronews

Trump promised during his campaign he would end the war within 24 hours of taking office, but his aides have since said a deal could take months.