The president’s comments came after he said Crimea “will stay with Russia,” a position backed by the mayor of Kyiv, who conceded that his country may have to give up territory.

Moscow and Kyiv have not held direct negotiations since March 2022, soon after the start of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Ukraine would be ready to hold talks with Russia in any format once a ceasefire is in place and the fighting between Kyiv and Moscow's forces has stopped.