The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying he was ready for direct talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as "empty words".

FRANCE 24 spoke to Iuliia Mendel, who was the spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from 2019 to 2021. She is the author of "The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, ...