Russia Not Ready For Ceasefire In Ukraine: President Vladimir Putin

Russia would not declare a ceasefire in Ukraine until Kyiv undertakes actions that are "irreversible" and meet Moscow's approval, said President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. 

This comes a month after Putin declared that Russia would only end the war if Kyiv agreed to abandon its NATO aspirations and cede control of the four provinces claimed by Moscow—conditions Kyiv quickly dismissed as equivalent to surrender.

Vladimir Putin further stated that it was futile for Russia to try to appeal to the Ukrainian Parliament regarding Moscow's proposals for ending the conflict between the two countries.

Residents in Dnipro are observing a day of mourning following a daylight Russian attack on Wednesday, that resulted in six deaths and left dozens injured. 

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin's spokesperson has dismissed the Turkish president’s proposal to mediate peace talks. Putin has also affirmed that his preference for Joe Biden remains unchanged after viewing parts of the debate between Biden and Donald Trump.

Regarding Trump's claims that he could quickly end the Ukraine war if elected, Putin said Russia takes these statements seriously but lacks detailed information about Trump's proposed peace plans.

When a state television reporter asked if his view on Biden versus Trump had shifted after the debate and whether he had seen it, Putin replied, "Nothing has changed."

"Did we not anticipate what might happen? We did," the Russian president added.

Putin has previously expressed that he prefers Joe Biden over Donald Trump as the next US president, even after Biden referred to him as a "crazy SOB."

Putin acknowledged he had seen some parts of the debate but had other priorities. "I saw some fragments," he said. "But I have plenty of other things to attend to."