Ukraine is ready to negotiate to end the war started by Russia more than two weeks ago, but would not surrender or accept any ultimatums, the country's foreign affairs minister Dmytro Kuleba was quoted on Saturday by news agency Reuters.

Speaking at a virtual event organized by the non-partisan, nonprofit organization Renew Democracy Initiative, Kuleba said civilian lives would be saved if Ukraine had fighter jets and more attack planes to destroy large military columns.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said about 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in fighting since the start of the Russian invasion.

Speaking at a news conference Saturday, Zelensky said it would take Russia to carpet-bomb the Ukrainian capital and kill its residents to take the city.

He added that if that is their goal, let them come."

Zelensky said that if they carry out carpet bombings and wipe off the historic memory of the entire region, the history of Kyivan Rus, the history of Europe, they could enter Kyiv.

Menwhile German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron called for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine during a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Saturday, a German government spokesperson said.

"The conversation is part of ongoing international efforts to end the war in Ukraine," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Scholz had earlier spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the situation in Ukraine, according to the statement.

The spokesperson added that nothing more could be revealed about their call.

The Kremlin said Putin informed the two leaders about the state of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv and responded to their concerns about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

The three leaders have agreed to keep in contact, the Kremlin added.

With inputs from PTI and Detsche Welle Newsfeed