Russian President said that Russia wants to end the conflict in Ukraine, and that all armed conflicts end with diplomatic negotiations.

“Sooner or later, any parties in a state of conflict sit down and make an agreement. The sooner this realization comes to those who oppose us, the better”, - Vladimir Putin told reporters, a day after Ukrainian President’s visit to the White House.

Russian leader also played down the significance of the Patriot air defense system that Biden agreed to supply to Zelensky, saying Russia would find a way to counter it.

He said it was “quite old” and did not work like Russia’s S-300 system.

“An antidote will always be found. Russia would “crack” the Patriots. So those who do it are doing it in vain. It’s just prolonging the conflict, that’s all”, - added Putin.

He also said a price cap imposed on Russian oil by Western countries, designed to limit its ability to fund the conflict, would not damage the Russian economy. He said he would sign a decree early next week to set out Russia’s response.