Moscow is ready to offer political asylum to Ukraine’s former president Petro Poroshenko and others who face political persecution in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a joint press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

Putin noted that he’d first floated an offer of asylum to Poroshenko when the latter was still a sitting president.

“I told him that if he had any difficulties in the future, Russia was ready to grant him political asylum”, - Putin said, noting that Poroshenko appeared to laugh off the idea initially, responding to such a prospect with irony.

Putin noted that the offer to Poroshenko, who is now facing charges of treason and abuse of office in Ukraine, is still in effect.