​St. Petersburg, Russia, Jun 4 (EFE).- Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a possible ceasefire in Ukraine on Thursday, arguing that peace can be negotiated while fighting continues. ​»There is no need to suspend hostilities to start negotiations on Ukraine,» Putin said during a meeting with representatives of major global news agencies, including EFE, at the Constantine Palace on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. ​He emphasized that Ukraine is interested in a truce due to alleged Russian territorial advances, although both Kyiv and Western analysts believe that Moscow has barely gained ground in the last six months. ​Putin estimated that the Russian Army has recently occupied 2,500 square kilometers and that Ukrainian monthly casualties stand at 40,000, the same figure that Western intelligence estimates for Russian troops. ​He also drew attention to the chronic manpower shortage in the Ukrainian Army, with some 20,000 deserters per month. EFE jms-mos/mcd