Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on international leaders to put pressure on Moscow ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip to China for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Zelensky on Saturday said he has spoken to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is due to meet Putin at the summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin.
Zelensky said he expected Modi to work in favour of a ceasefire in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which has been ongoing for more than three and a half years.
Once again, the Ukrainian leader said a ceasefire was a prerequisite for the start of peace negotiations.
Russia, on the other hand, says it wants to negotiate a lasting peace without first laying down weapons.
Zelensky in his evening video message once more expressed his willingness to meet with Putin, despite discouraging signals from Moscow.
His negotiator Rustem Umyevrov has held talks in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. They are all prepared to organize a bilateral meeting, as is Switzerland, Zelensky said.
He also announced further meetings in Europe next week to ensure a "strong response" to Moscow, as the EU prepares a 19th round of sanctions against Russia.
Putin is due to attend the SCO summit before watching a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday.
