Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday he is open to the possibility of bilateral talks with Ukraine for the first time in years, as pressure from the United States builds on both sides to agree to a peace deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed on Monday bilateral talks with Ukraine for the first time in years, and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv was prepared for any discussion to halt attacks on civilian targets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signalled he is open to bilateral talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time since the early stages of the war.