Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded on Monday an Order of Courage to Army General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces and the overall commander of Russia's war in Ukraine.

"If any troops appear there, especially now while fighting is ongoing, we assume that they will be legitimate targets," Putin says as the U.S. and Europe plan for a post-war Ukraine.

Putin said on Wednesday he was open to a face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy in the Russian capital, while Trump pushes for progress in ending Russia's all-out war in Ukraine, now well into its fourth year.

Actor Sean Penn reflected on meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Thursday interview with late night host Jimmy Kimmel amid rising tensions in Eastern Europe. The two crossed paths during

President Putin denied on Friday that Russia's economy was stagnating, despite a report from the central bank that suggests it is technically in recession.

Russia said negotiations with Ukraine are on “pause,” less than a month after the summit meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump that the US said would spur talks on a peace deal.