Zelenskiy: no talks if Russia stages referendums

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that if Russia proceeded with referendums in occupied areas of his country on joining Russia there could be no talks with Ukraine or its international allies.

"If the occupiers proceed along the path of pseudo-referendums they will close for themselves any chance of talks with Ukraine and the free world, which the Russian side will clearly need at some point," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

Russian and Ukrainian officials held several sessions of talks soon after Russian forces launched their invasion of Ukraine. But no meetings have been held since late March, with each side blaming the other for the halt to contacts.