The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was serious about negotiating a settlement to end the war in Ukraine as high-level talks began in Saudi Arabia, and that Russia would prefer to achieve all its aims peacefully.

Nearly three years after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, his troops are making steady progress on the battlefield.

In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy laid out his vision for ending the war in his country in partnership with President Donald Trump — making clear that he would never accept a peace deal negotiated by the U.