Putin expresses cautious stance on resuming peace talks

Putin expresses cautious stance on resuming peace talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed a cautious stance on resuming US-brokered peace negotiations with Ukraine, claiming that Kyiv launched large-scale attacks during Russia's lower house election earlier this month.

Putin spoke to reporters in Saint Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, on Friday. He said that he had been ready to resume the talks after the election.

But he said more than 1,600 drones entered the area near Moscow on September 20, the final day of the election, attacking a school serving as a polling station and other sites. Putin said he "will think twice about what we need to do in response."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Putin in a video message released on Saturday. He said: "Putin always finds some lame excuse -- not to meet, not to hold a trilateral, not to talk, not to end it, not to stop the killing. It has been the same with him for years."

Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have been stalled due to the situation in Iran and other factors, but Zelenskyy revealed on Friday that the United States was calling for working-level talks involving the three countries.