Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent visit to Moscow that his country was prepared to broker peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine to end a conflict he said Russia was determined to bring to a conclusion.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has offered his country as a meeting place for possible talks on ending the war in Ukraine. "If anyone turns to us and is interested in organizing peace talks in Slovakia about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia,