Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in a ceasefire, but instead wants the "total defeat" of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told US broadcaster ABC News on Sunday. Only "hard pressure" from the United States and Europe could force Putin to back down,

Putin at the playground in the park," Zelensky said, as quoted by the TV network. "He is a murderer who came to this park to kill the kids."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told ABC News that Russian forces were attacking Ukraine even before the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched the Spiderweb operation. He stated that all the subsequent Russian strikes were planned in advance.

The presidents also discussed the Middle East conflict and how Moscow could help deal with Iran and its nuclear programme Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump on Wednesday that he would have to respond to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's nuclear-capable bomber fleet,

The United States believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin's threatened retaliation against Ukraine over its drone attack last weekend has not happened yet in earnest and is likely to be a significant,