Putin Says He’s Ready for Talks With Ukraine After Xi Call
- Russian offer comes after Putin and Xi speak by phone
- Ukraine defends capital Kyiv against Russian army assault
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President Vladimir Putin said he’s ready to authorize talks with Ukraine on a possible neutral status for the country, hours after speaking with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as Russia’s military invasion approached Kyiv.
Putin is willing to take up a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss neutrality, and to send a delegation to the Belarusian capital, Minsk, for talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. There was no immediate response from Kyiv to the announcement.