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Putin says Russia is ready to talk on Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin says Russian troops have the initiative on the battlefield in Ukraine. (AP PHOTO)

President Vladimir Putin says Russia is prepared to talk to Ukraine, the United States and European countries about the future of Ukraine if they wanted to but that Russia would defend its own interests.

Putin, who sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, has repeatedly said he would be prepared to talk about peace although US and European officials say he is waiting for the US presidential election in November before making a genuine effort.

"In Ukraine, those who are aggressive towards Russia, and in Europe and in the United States - do they want to negotiate? Let them. But we will do it based on our national interests," Putin told a meeting of the defence leadership in Moscow.

"We will not give up what is ours," Putin said, adding that Russia did not intend to fight with Europe.

Putin accused the United States of exploiting Europe for its own interests.

He said Ukrainian membership of NATO "is not acceptable for Russia in 10 years, and not in 20".

Russia controls about 17.5 per cent of the territory that was internationally recognised as part of Ukraine as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and last year said the four additional regions of Ukraine that its troops partially control are part of Russia.

Ukraine says it will not rest until every last Russian soldier is ejected from the country.

Putin spoke at a meeting of the defence ministry which was attended by the military top brass, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, as well as Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov.

Russian troops, Putin said, now had the initiative on the battlefield.

"We are not going to abandon the goals of the special military operation," Putin said although he added that Russia needed better military communication, reconnaissance, targeting and satellite capability.

He said Russia's defence industry was responding faster than that of the NATO alliance and said Russia would continue to upgrade its nuclear forces and keep its combat readiness at a high level.

The governments of the United Kingdom and France reiterated their determination on Tuesday that Russia's invasion of Ukraine will end in failure.

David Cameron and Catherine Colonna
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron says "it's essential" the Russian invasion of Ukraine fails.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his French counterpart Catherine Colonna said Russia could not be rewarded for its aggression.

Cameron, speaking after talks with Colonna in Paris, said that if the economies of Ukraine's allies are calculated together, "we outmatch the Russian economy by 25 to one or more".

"What we have to do is make that economic strength and that commitment pay," he said.

"If we can, I have no doubt that we can make sure that Putin loses and it's essential that he does lose."

Neither Cameron nor Colonna announced new aid for Ukraine in their comments to reporters and they took no questions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he was certain that US and European financial aid would continue.

Funding for Ukraine has been held up recently in both the US and European Union amid political tussles.

"We are working very hard on this, and I am certain the United States will not betray us," Zelenskiy said during a televised press briefing in Kyiv.

He also said he expected the EU to approve a 50 billion euro ($A81 billion) aid package soon. 

with AP

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