Afghanistan, June 6 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he currently sees no reason to hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, signaling continued resistance to direct leader-level talks aimed at ending the more than three-year war.
Speaking during a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin declined to engage directly with a question about a recent letter from Zelensky and instead praised Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
"The whole country is proud of you and places its hopes in you. Continue your work," Putin said, addressing Russian servicemen involved in the conflict.
Asked whether he planned to meet Zelensky, Putin responded: "At the moment, I see no reason f...