Ukraine rejects Russia's offer to negotiate

MOSCOW

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday that Ukraine rejected its offer to negotiate.

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news conference in Moscow said the Ukrainian side refused to start negotiations in Minsk but Kyiv offered to discuss the issue Saturday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said Russia is ready to send a delegation to Minsk for talks.

Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine entered its second day Friday with the latest reports indicating that Russian troops were heading toward the capital, Kyiv, from several directions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military intervention Thursday, days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine.

He claimed that Moscow had no plan to occupy the neighboring country but wanted to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to install a puppet government and said Ukrainians will defend their country against Russian aggression.