By Vladimir Soldatkin and Andrew Osborn ST PETERSBURG, Russia, June 5 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelenskiy after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to a war now in its fifth year.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin rebuffed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for a face-to-face meeting, saying there was “no point.”

President Vladimir Putin says Russia will strengthen its air defenses to counter recent Ukrainian drone attacks, which have reached deep inside his country and cast a cloud over his showcase economic forum in his hometown of St.

At the St. Petersburg economic forum, business and political elites said Russia faced a choice of halting the conflict or sacrificing more. Vladimir Putin seemed to signal more war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had warm words for "old friend" Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, describing their relationship in personal terms and dismissing the notion that the war in Ukraine had driven a Russian "pivot" toward the East Asian power.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, June 4 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday sidestepped a question on whether or not he would stay in power until 2036, saying that it was too early to talk about the issue and that in any case only God knew if he would be healthy enough.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says developing countries have gained an increasingly important role in the global economy, while the share of output by Western countries has shrunk.

In a speech to the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin accused the West of undermining the global economy and finances with unilateral sanctions.

Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready to jointly develop and produce the Su-57 stealth fighter jet with India. The offer comes as the IAF seeks a fifth-generation fighter, while the AMCA remains years away from entering service.