Putin says 'no point' meeting with Zelenskyy, vowing to double down on war efforts

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled out meeting his Ukrainian counterpart any time soon, a day after Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a sit-down between the leaders to end the four-year war.Speaking at an economic forum in his home city of Saint Petersburg, Putin said he saw "no point" in meeting Zelenskyy until a possible peace deal had been agreed Putin also vowed to press on with Russia's military offensive until its war goals had been achieved.Zelenskyy hit back saying the Russian leader was "weak" and "choosing war again".Russia has demanded control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region as well as sweeping political and military restrictions on its neighbour.Ukraine and its allies have ruled the conditions as tantamount to capitulation and US-brokered peace talks have failed to bring the sides closer.Zelenskyy on Friday, local time, issued a rare direct appeal to the Russian leader."Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you