Putin ready to speak to Zelensky 'if necessary', Kremlin says as US and Russia hold talks

 The US and Russia are holding talks in Saudi Arabia about the war in Ukraine - it's the first in-person meeting since Moscow's full-scale invasion three years ago

• Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is speaking to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Neither Ukraine nor Europe are invited - so who's at the table?

• Our correspondent Tom Bateman reports: Both sides sat in silence before the meeting started. I asked Rubio whether the US was sidelining Ukraine - he didn't answer 

  
  
  

• The Kremlin says Vladimir Putin is prepared to speak to Volodymyr Zelensky "if necessary"; Zelensky has repeatedly said he won't recognise a peace deal negotiated without Ukraine

• The US says today's talks are a first step to see if Russia is "serious" about ending the war, while Russia says it hopes to normalise relations with America.

• FULL ARTICLE AND MORE UPDATES AT: Ukraine war latest: Putin ready to speak to Zelensky 'if necessary', Kremlin says as US and Russia hold talks