Sergey Lavrov gave an extensive interview to the state-run TASS agency. The head of Russian diplomacy emphasized the need for a "lasting agreement on Ukraine." Simultaneously, in a propagandistic discourse,

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine to end a conflict he said Russia was determined to bring to a conclusion.

NATO’s secretary-general says he wants to discuss ways to put Ukraine in a position of strength for any future peace talks with Russia during a meeting Wednesday with Ukraine’s president and a small number of European leaders.

Ukraine and Russia today swapped over 300 prisoners of war as Putin said he is "open to peace talks". Moscow's Defence Ministry said each side freed 150 prisoners of war, although Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the number of Kyiv's soldiers at 189. The reason behind the discrepancy is unclear at the moment.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský has stated that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has consistently rejected all peace proposals and continues to launch new strikes on Ukraine's regions every day.

Slovakia on Friday confirmed its readiness to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, despite Kyiv's accusation that it is playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin.