Russian President Vladimir Putin ruled out a ceasefire on long-range strikes with Ukraine, as Moscow steps up its campaign of aerial attacks on Kyiv, Al Jazeera reported.

Putin said Ukraine had “partially achieved its objectives” with those strikes and that attacks on Russian oil refineries had cost the country 1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP). He added that Russia would prefer to end the conflict through talks and wanted Ukraine to be a neutral country after the end of hostilities.