Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, 25 February, urged the Ukrainian military to seize power in their country, which would make it much easier for the two countries to reach an agreement, Reuters reported.
"I once again appeal to the military personnel of the armed forces of Ukraine: do not allow neo-Nazis and (Ukrainian radical nationalists) to use your children, wives and elders as human shields," Putin said.
"Take power into your own hands, it will be easier for us to reach (an) agreement," he added during a televised meeting with Russia's security council.
He also lauded the Russian servicemen in Ukraine and said they were acting "bravely, professionally and heroically."
Prez Putin Ready to Send Delegation to Belarus to Hold Talks With Ukraine: Kremlin
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that President Putin was ready to send a delegation to Belarus to hold talks with Ukraine, AFP reported.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said that Putin was ready to send a high-level delegation "for talks with a Ukrainian delegation" to Minsk, Belarus' capital. Minsk, in the past, has hosted three rounds of peace talks over the ongoing Ukraine Crisis.
Peskov said that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told him he would "create the conditions" for such a summit.
As Russian troops closed on Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a new statement on Friday, asking Putin to hold talks.
"I would like to address the President of the Russian Federation once again. Fighting is going on all over Ukraine. Let's sit down at the negotiating table to stop the deaths of people," he said.
Ukraine's capital Kyiv was battered by Russian missiles on Friday, 25 February, as Russia's war against Ukraine entered its second day.
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to western nations to provide his country with the money to defend itself, explanations and gunfire could be heard in Kyiv even before dawn, AP reported.
Russia had launched a full-scale military operation on Ukraine on Thursday via land, air, and sea.
(With inputs from Reuters and AFP.)