Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is open to Slovakia hosting potential peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Putin told journalists north of St Petersburg that Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico made the proposal during his visit to Moscow last Sunday,

Vladimir Putin said Russia was open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine with a view to end the war that nears the three-year mark

Putin said that Fico, an outspoken opponent of EU support for Ukraine, had offered his country as to host talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin said Slovakia's prime minister offered on his recent visit to Moscow to host potential talks between Russia and Ukraine. Robert Fico made the trip as a halt to Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine beckons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in Moscow, state TV channel Rossiya 24 reported.

Responding to questions from journalists, Putin said that Slovakian officials "would be happy to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations. We are not opposed, if it comes to that. Why not?

Slovakia, an EU and NATO member, has already halted military aid to Ukraine since autumn 2023 under Fico's government, and called for peace talks. Fico has accused Kyiv of jeopardising his country's supply of Russian natural gas, on which it is heavily dependent.

Vladimir Putin says Russia is 'striving' to end the conflict in Ukraine. The Russian President said the Government was prepared to use intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missiles or to use more powerful intermediate-range weapons.