Putin: There is a possibility of reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that there was a possibility of reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, while Kiev said it expected a "new dynamic" in peace efforts, Reuters news agency reported.

Putin, speaking at an economic forum in the Russian Far East, said that several countries, including the United States (US) and China, were ready to support reaching a peace agreement.

"However, in the end, the problem must be resolved by the countries involved in the conflict - Russia and Ukraine. We are grateful to everyone who is trying to contribute to achieving a solution. Is there a chance? In my opinion, yes, there is," he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha told reporters in Kiev: "I believe that now we will have a new dynamic in peace efforts, with the return of this active phase of political and diplomatic engagement in many capitals around the world."

He did not provide further details, but told reporters to "follow the news."

After four and a half years of the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II, it is rare for either side to offer an optimistic assessment of the prospects for peace. They last met in February, in US-brokered talks, Reuters reports.

Since then, while the US has been preoccupied with the war in Iran, both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up long-range air strikes deep inside the other side's territory. Hostilities at sea have escalated sharply, with both sides attacking ports and merchant ships, sending world grain prices soaring.

Wheat futures in Chicago fell more than two percent after Putin's statements.

However, neither Putin nor Sibiha gave specific reasons why progress should be expected; on the contrary, the Kremlin leader said that Ukraine's latest moves represent an obstacle.

Responding to a question, Putin said that Ukrainian attacks on civilian merchant ships and alleged threats to attack civilian aircraft were acts of state terrorism, which he said complicated the prospects for bilateral peace talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned airlines and insurance companies this week that the presence of Ukrainian drones had made Russian airspace 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 aviation agency to ask its member states to ban operations in Russian airspace. Ukraine has been cut off from international civil aviation because its airspace has been deemed unsafe since Russia invaded in 2022.

Putin: Contacts are mainly conducted through intelligence services

Putin said that contacts with Ukraine are still being maintained.

"It is difficult for me to say now to what extent these contacts are leading to a peace agreement, given the statements we have recently heard from the top Ukrainian leadership. However, contacts exist and are continuing - I repeat, primarily through intelligence channels," he said.

Speaking alongside Sibih in Kiev, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said: "If India can help in any way, we are here."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin on Monday that the war in Ukraine must end for the sake of humanity and that New Delhi would support any effort to stop the fighting.