Putin open to Macron's ceasefire proposal during Paris Olympics
Russia's newly re-elected president has said he is open to French President Emmanuel Macron's plan to propose a ceasefire during this summer's Paris Olympics.
Macron said in an interview from Paris shown on Ukrainian television on Saturday that Russia would be asked to observe a ceasefire, in line with the customary host country's appeal for peace.
Vladimir Putin said Russia's interests would always take precedence, but he would consider the request:
"We are for peaceful negotiations, but not because the enemy is running out of ammunition. We are for it, if they really seriously want to build peaceful, good neighbourly relations between the two states in the long term, instead of taking a pause for one and a half or for two years to rearm," he said.
The call for a ceasefire comes after Macron recently said that sending Western troops into Ukraine should not be ruled out - though he said the current situation does not require it and insisted Russia cannot be allowed to win the war.
Macron still doesn't rule out sending troops to Ukraine IOC suspends Russian Olympic Committee for incorporating Ukrainian sports regions
The International Olympic Committee in December decided against a blanket ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes over the invasion of Ukraine.
“As the athletes will participate in an individual and neutral capacity, they will not march in the Opening Ceremony on August 28 or have a flag bearer at the Closing Ceremony on September 8,” the IPC said.
On Thursday, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee said the ROC would not boycott this year's Paris Olympics, despite the restrictions placed on athletes.
The Paris Olympics take place from 26 July to 11 August with 10,500 athletes from 206 countries competing over the two and a half weeks.