'If Putin is not scared...': Ukraine minister's challenge to Russia

Kyiv, Mar 08: Ukraine wanted direct talks between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia's Vladimir Putin, said Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

"We have long wanted a direct conversation between the president of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin, because we all understand that it is he who makes the final decisions, especially now," he was quoted saying by Reuters.

"Our president is not scared of anything, including a direct meeting with Putin," Kuleba added.

"If Putin is also not scared, let him come to the meeting, let them sit down and talk," he further said.

Ukraine and Russia held a third round of talks on Monday, with the Ukrainian delegation saying there was potential progress on ensuring humanitarian corridors.

Ukraine's lead negotiator, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Twitter after the talks that "there were some small positive shifts regarding logistics of humanitarian corridors."

The third round of negotiations has ended. There are small positive subductions in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors... Intensive consultations have continued on the basic political block of the regulations, along with a ceasefire and security guarantees, he tweeted.