Peace negotiations in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

"Bulgaria remains fully committed to the strong and unified response of NATO, the EU, and the international democratic community to Russian military aggression against Ukraine," wrote acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev on the Facebook page of the Council of Ministers.

The ceasefire proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin is an ultimatum that cannot be trusted, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, according to a report by Reuters. Earlier on Friday, Putin declared that Russia would end the war in Ukraine if Kyiv agreed to abandon its NATO aspirations and surrender all four areas claimed by Moscow.

World leaders headed to Switzerland on Saturday for a first summit on peace in Ukraine, after Vladimir Putin demanded Kiev effectively surrender if it ultimately wants negotiations with Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow would only halt its offensive on Ukraine if Kiev effectively surrenders by pulling its troops out of the east and south and dropping its bid for NATO membership.

Russia will cease fire and begin negotiations if Ukraine withdraws from the four occupied Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia and abandons its aspirations for NATO membership, stated President Vladimir Putin in a speech at the Foreign Ministry in Moscow. This proposal, he emphasized, is not for a temporary truce but for a complete end to the conflict in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, said he discussed preparations for a peace summit this weekend with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Zelensky landed in the Red Sea city of Jeddah for his latest trip to the Gulf kingdom, which has sought to stay neutral in Ukraine's war with Russia.

During a meeting in Beijing, Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin hailed the relationship between China and Russia as a stabilizing influence amidst global turmoil.

Leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin framed their nations' ties as a stabilising force in a chaotic world as they met Thursday in Beijing, where the Russian president is seeking greater Chinese support for his war effort in Ukraine and isolated economy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the need for "reliable guarantees for Russia and Ukraine from Western countries" in an interview with the Chinese news agency Xinhua, as reported by rbc.ru. Putin suggested that the West is resistant to establishing a world order based on international law.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has voiced his support for China's proposed peace initiative aimed at resolving the ongoing war in Ukraine, as reported by Reuters. In an interview with Xinhua news agency preceding his visit to Beijing, Putin emphasized Russia's openness to dialogue and negotiations in seeking resolution to the conflict, which has endured for over two years.