Putin: China, India and Brazil could broker peace deal

VLADIMIR Putin yesterday claimed China, India and Brazil could jointly mediate RussiaUkraine peace talks in order to finally bring the war to an end.

- Mark Reynolds

The Russian despot suggested the three countries all viewed as having an uneasy alliance with the Kremlin could act as gobetweens to help broker a lasting peace with Ukraine.

Putin has said a preliminary agreement reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the first weeks of the war at talks in Istanbul, which was never implemented, could still serve as the basis for fresh talks.

Speaking at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Putin said: "First of all, Chinese People's Republic, Brazil, India - I am in contact with my partners.

"We have trust and confidence in one another. If there is a desire of Ukraine to carry on with the negotiations, I can do that."