Russian President Vladimir Putin made one of his starkest declarations of the war this week, stating at a St. Petersburg forum that “all of Ukraine is ours” because Russians and Ukrainians are “one people.

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has announced that he is ready for a third round of negotiations with Ukraine, saying that Russia is prepared to hold such a meeting in Istanbul, but the "time and place" still need to be agreed upon.

Russia is ready to hold a third round of peace talks on the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on June 27, without specifying if he would directly participate in the negotiations.