Putin: There is a chance for a peace agreement, Ukrainian warning to airlines makes negotiations difficult

Russian President Vladimir Putin said there was a chance of reaching a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, but that resuming negotiations was being hampered by Ukrainian attacks on ships and Kiev's calls for civilian aircraft to avoid Russian airspace.

Putin said that several countries, including the US and China, are ready to support a peace solution.

"Ultimately, however, the problem must be resolved by the countries involved in the conflict - Russia and Ukraine," he said at an economic forum in the Russian Far East.

"We are grateful to everyone who is trying to contribute to a solution. Is there a chance? In my opinion, yes, there is."

Responding to a question, however, he said that Ukrainian attacks on civilian merchant ships and "reported threats to attack civilian aircraft" were "acts of state terrorism," which, he said, "make the prospects for bilateral peace talks difficult," Reuters reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned airlines and insurance companies this week that the presence of Ukrainian drones had made Russian skies dangerous, although he said Ukraine would only target Russian military facilities and would not endanger civilian aircraft.

Ukraine on Wednesday called on the United Nations civil aviation agency to ask its member states to ban operations in Russian airspace. Ukraine has been cut off from international civil air traffic because its airspace has been deemed unsafe since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022.

After four and a half years of war, the front lines are largely static, and peace talks have not been held since February. Both sides have stepped up long-range air strikes deep into the other's territory, while the war at sea has escalated sharply, with both sides attacking ports and merchant ships.

Putin said Russia is continuing contacts with the administration of US President Donald Trump, which is trying to mediate a peace agreement for Ukraine.

"We are committed to restoring full-scale relations with the United States. However, it does not depend only on us; it also depends on the American side. But, from what I understand, feel and see, President Trump is committed to such positive and constructive cooperation," he said.

He added that contacts between the two countries take place between their intelligence services and through Trump's envoys. CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence chiefs in Moscow last week, but neither side has revealed what was discussed.