Russian President Vladimir Putin told Kyiv on Wednesday that there was a chance to end the war in Ukraine via negotiations "if common sense prevails," but that he was ready to end it by force if that was the only way.

The UK and its allies stand ready to support Ukraine before negotiations to end the war as well as to secure an eventual peace deal, the UK defence secretary says.

Air raid alerts sounded for hours across Ukraine, with explosions heard in nine of its 24 regions, from Kyiv to Lviv and Volyn in the west, Ukrainian officials and media said.

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for more pressure on Moscow on Wednesday, beginning a visit to European allies he hopes will unveil plans for security guarantees for Kyiv even as Russian forces launched their latest massive air attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Russia was engaged in a new troop buildup along certain sectors of the frontline and was still launching strikes on Ukrainian targets.