Widodo says handed Putin message from Zelensky, urges peaceful resolution

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Thursday that he handed the message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I conveyed President Zelensky's message to President Putin," Widodo said after talks with the Russian president in comments translated into Russian. Widodo said he expressed his "readiness" to help start "communication" between the two leaders.

He did not provide further details, and neither side said what was in the note.

Widodo was in Kyiv on Wednesday before heading to Moscow to meet Putin, who on February 24 sent troops into pro-Western Ukraine.

"Although the external situation is still difficult, it is still important to move towards a settlement and open dialogue," Widodo said in Moscow.

"It is important to move towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine," he said, adding that the country will be continuing to cooperate with Russia.

He said that his country would like "the war to end soon".

"I call on all world leaders to revive the spirit of cooperation," Widodo added.

Jakarta has come under Western pressure to exclude Putin from the G20 gathering after announcing in April he had been invited.

Ukraine's Zelensky told Widodo on Wednesday that he will attend the upcoming G20 summit in Bali depending on who else is attending.

Putin on Thursday praised his talks with Widodo as "productive".

"I am convinced that the agreements reached today will further strengthen the Russian-Indonesian partnership," Putin added.