BELARUS: Russian President Vladimir Putin visited his Belarusian counterpart and close ally Alexander Lukashenko for talks in Minsk today, after which he questioned whether Volodymyr Zelensky has the legitimacy to negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf.

Russia is willing to hold talks about the war in Ukraine, Mr Putin said, but Mr Zelensky’s five-year term in office was supposed to end on May 20.

However, Mr Zelensky has ruled out holding new presidential elections while his country is at war, something Mr Putin apparently ignored in remarks to reporters.