India, Feb. 18 -- The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "if necessary."

However, Putin's administration also reiterated their doubts regarding Zelensky's legitimacy as Ukraine's leader. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin is willing to negotiate, but emphasizes the need to establish a clear legal foundation for any agreements, given the questionable legitimacy of Zelensky's presidency.

"Putin himself said that he would be ready to negotiate with Zelensky if necessary but the legal basis of agreements needs discussion considering the reality that Zelensky's legitimacy can be questioned," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told repor...