(Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy should happen once the two sides are closer to agreeing on key issues.

       Speaking to Serbian media outlets, Lavrov added that any meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy to exchange views on the conflict right now would be counter-productive.

       Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a special operation to degrade its southern neighbour's military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists.

       Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw its forces.

       (Reporting by Reuters)