He came up with the statement while speaking at an economic forum in Saint Petersburg. , Putin also said direct talks with Kyiv could take place at a US military base in Anchorage, Alaska.

Earlier, in a letter sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for direct talks to end the conflict. He proposed an all-for-all prisoner exchange and urged both sides to agree to a full ceasefire during negotiations. 

Zelensky also said Ukraine is making steady progress toward joining the European Union. According to him, the first stage of EU membership talks is expected to begin later this month. 

He added that Kyiv is hopeful of quickly receiving a 90-billion-euro support package from the European Union.