Putin says Russia does not reject talks with Ukraine

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that an African initiative could be a basis for peace in Ukraine but that Ukrainian attacks made it hard to realise. He was speaking at a press conference after meeting African leaders in St Petersburg on Friday and hearing their calls for Moscow to move ahead with their plan. "There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented," he said. "But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement." Reuters reported in June that African mediation in the conflict could begin with confidence-building meas...