Ukraine war latest: Putin insists 'things starting to move' - but Ukraine says Russia 'tryin

[mikecodes]

Vladimir Putin and US officials have been expressing optimism about peace talks. But while Ukraine's president says there is a "good chance" to end the war, he and a key European ally say Russia is attempting to delay negotiations by insisting on various conditions. Follow the latest here.

 

 

Russia's 'delaying tactics' must end, Macron says

We've now heard from French president Emmanuel Macron, who said he had spoken to Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sir Keir Starmer today to discuss the ceasefire proposal.

In an online post, Macron followed in the footsteps of Ukraine's allies calling on Russia to accept the proposal, saying "Russian aggression in Ukraine must end".

He also said there must also be a stop to "delaying tactics"  - something Vladimir Putin has been accused of after saying there were "nuances" and "lots of questions" remaining over a deal yesterday.

In contrast with Trump, Macron's comments echo those of Zelenskyy (see 16.38 post). 

The French president will join a virtual meeting of world leaders tomorrow, hosted by Starmer, aimed at building on the "coalition of the willing" - the countries which have pledged their support to Ukraine.