Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he thinks his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin understands that Ukraine is a big, independent country.

Answering a question from The Times of Israel whether Putin still thinks that 'Ukraine is not a country,' Zelensky said: "I don't know what he's thinking about. He didn't tell me. I think he understands my attitude: Ukraine is an independent country. We are a big country, the biggest in Europe. I think he understands. What he thinks about it? That's in his head."