In defiant mood, Putin on Friday promised flag-waving crowds at a soccer stadium in Moscow that Russia would “absolutely accomplish all of our plans”.

Zelenskiy said refusal to compromise would come at a steep price.

“I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk,” he said in a video address early on Saturday. “The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover.”