New Delhi, Feb. 18 -- The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russian leadeer Vladimir Putin was ready to talk to Volodymyr Zelensky "if necessary" but repeated its questioning of his legitimacy as Ukrainian president.

"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 reporters.

Top US and Russian officials started meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss how to end the war in Ukraine, without anyone from Kyiv taking part and as Europe struggles to respond to the rapid pace of events.

The talks in Riyadh follow US President Donald Trump's landmark phon...