Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. All News Sport Culture Lifestyle Putin says he will only meet Zelensky once lasting peace deal agreed while claiming conflict is ‘coming to an end’ Russian President Vladimir Putin said he believes the war is "coming to an end" and expressed willingness to negotiate new European security arrangements. Putin proposed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a mediator for peace talks, but European leaders, including Germany, rejected the idea, citing Schröder's close ties to the Kremlin. Both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a fragile US-backed three-day ceasefire with continued drone strikes and clashes along the front lines. Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds resigned after two Ukrainian drones, reportedly diverted by Russian electronic warfare, struck oil storage tanks in Latvia, leading to calls for stronger Baltic air defences.…