KIEV:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reaffirmed his request for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the crisis. "Fighting is raging across Ukraine. Let's take a seat at the negotiation table, shall we? "On Friday, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted Zelensky as saying.

Putin indicated on Friday that Moscow is prepared to engage with Ukraine at a high level, according to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency.

According to reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised "a special military action" in Donbas on Thursday.  Zelensky said, at least 137 Ukrainians were killed and more than 300 were injured in the military action.

Meanwhile, Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "ready" to send a high-level team to Minsk, Belarus, for discussions with a Ukrainian delegation. Minsk has previously hosted rounds of peace talks over the Ukraine conflict.

As Russian forces drew in on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on the second day of Moscow's invasion, the Kremlin stated President Vladimir Putin is ready to send a delegation to Belarus for negotiations with Ukraine.

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