Olympics: Putin open to Ukraine ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is open to a ceasefire during the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

French President, Emmanuel Macron confirmed to Ukrainians that Paris would ask Moscow to agree to a truce for the duration of the Games, set for July 26 to Aug 11, local media reported.

In a news conference following Putin’s projected re-election on Sunday evening, Putin said he had so far, not heard of such a proposal by Macron.

“In any case, we would always proceed from Russia’s interests and the situation on the battlefield,” the Kremlin leader said.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) wants to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in July and August as neutral athletes under strict conditions.

The IOC initially banned Russia and its ally, Belarus from international sports events after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin said such restrictions would distort the meaning of the Olympic movement.

The war started during the United Nations-backed Olympic Truce period, a few days after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and ahead of the Paralympics in the Chinese capital.

Moscow had repeatedly said it remained open to negotiations to end the war under certain conditions, including being able to retain the large areas occupied in Ukraine.