Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine to end a conflict he said Russia was determined to bring to a conclusion.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent visit to Moscow that his country was prepared to broker peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported Thursday.

Vladimir Putin said Russia was open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine with a view to end the war that nears the three-year mark

Vladimir Putin said Slovakia's prime minister offered on his recent visit to Moscow to host potential talks between Russia and Ukraine. Robert Fico made the trip as a halt to Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine beckons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in Moscow, state TV channel Rossiya 24 reported.

Slovakia, an EU and NATO member, has already halted military aid to Ukraine since autumn 2023 under Fico's government, and called for peace talks. Fico has accused Kyiv of jeopardising his country's supply of Russian natural gas, on which it is heavily dependent.

Responding to questions from journalists, Putin said that Slovakian officials "would be happy to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations. We are not opposed, if it comes to that. Why not?

Slovakia could host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in the future after receiving approval from Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader who this week hosted Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico in Moscow,

Vladimir Putin says Russia is 'striving' to end the conflict in Ukraine. The Russian President said the Government was prepared to use intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missiles or to use more powerful intermediate-range weapons.