Putin says Russia wants final Ukraine deal, not short truce

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is ready to resume three-way negotiations with Ukraine and the United States, but only toward a final peace settlement rather than a short truce, according to comments carried by Russian state media and reported by Ukrainska Pravda and other outlets.

Putin told a Russian state television journalist that the talks should address security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine as part of a lasting agreement, rather than a brief pause in the fighting, several outlets reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia supports holding high-level, three-way talks in November, according to Ukrainian outlet NV.

Putin repeated Moscow's position that Ukrainian territory seized by Russian forces counts as Russian land, and said Kyiv had chosen war over a proposed settlement for the Donbas region, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Separately, Czech President Petr Pavel said a deal between the United States and Russia over diesel fuel exports had given Moscow "breathing space" and pushed a ceasefire further away, according to Onet and TVNET. He said sanctions on Russian oil, oligarchs and other industries had put Russia in a difficult position before the deal eased that pressure.

Pavel said he backed Zelensky, adding he would be "the last" to blame Ukraine for the war, and suggested Europe should consider offering Russia economic incentives rather than relying only on sanctions, Onet reported.