Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said that his campaign in Ukraine was going according to plan and would not end until Kyiv stopped fighting, Hindustan Times reported. He made the comments in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who appealed for a ceasefire in the conflict.

Putin was ready for dialogue with Ukraine and foreign partners but any attempt to draw out negotiation would fail, a Kremlin statement said. To this, Turkey said Erdogan had called for a ceasefire to ease humanitarian concerns.

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On Sunday, Russian media said Putin also held almost two hours of talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. The French presidency said the call between Putin and focused primarily on the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear plants.

Macron reportedly insisted on the need to ensure the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) safety standards are respected at Chernobyl and in other nuclear plants.

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Putin said he does not intend to attack nuclear plants and agreed on the principle of a “dialogue” between IAEA, Ukraine and Russia on this issue, according to the official, who spoke anonymously in line with the French presidency’s practices.

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Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that he spoke with his US counterpart Joe Biden through phone to discuss financial support and sanctions against Russia as his country faces an intensifying onslaught.

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In a readout on the half-hour call, the White House said Biden had emphasised steps his administration and allies have taken steps “to raise the costs on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine”.