A brief ceasefire between the warring sides in Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Christmas Eve took effect early on Friday, Russian state television said, marking the first pause in the protracted war. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that Moscow is keen to ramp up its military cooperation with Beijing as part of joint efforts to counter Western interventions in the region.

Putin says Moscow is ready to negotiate with all parties involved in the war in Ukraine but Kiev and its Western allies refuse to engage in talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the situation in four former regions of Ukraine that recently voted to join the Russian union is "extremely complicated", urging the country’s security agencies to remain vigilant.

In a stern warning, Russia on Wednesday said US Patriot missile defense systems would be a legitimate target for its strikes if Washington authorizes them to be delivered to support Kiev.

“That topic will be part of the topics for peace,” the French president said.

This came after President Joe Biden of the United States suggested he would be open to talks with Moscow.