Turkey is ready to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul again, President Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Sunday, Erdogan's office said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is pleased to see that Russia is finally engaging with finding an end to the war, but there must be a ceasefire before peace talks can start.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken center stage at Russia’s Victory Day parade on Friday, surrounding himself by friendly world leaders in a highly choreographed show designed to show the Western world that Russia is far from isolated.

Chinese President Xi Jinping stood next to Vladimir Putin in Moscow as thousands of Russia troops and military vehicles participated in the Victory Day parade.

As Russia celebrates its 80-year-old victory over Nazi Germany, Putin wants the world to see that despite the new conflict in Europe, he still has friends in high places.