That will take some doing. Putin remains uninterested in peace talks as long as Russian troops continue to gain ground in Ukraine’s east, albeit at a slow pace, and while Ukrainian forces hold seized territory in the Kursk region inside Russia, according to John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and other former officials.

President Donald Trump says his administration has already had “very serious” discussions with Russia about its war in Ukraine and that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon take “significant” action toward ending the grinding conflict.

The European Union is afraid that Donald Trump will make a deal with Putin on Ukraine, behind the backs not only of Ukraine itself, but of Europe as well. "For Trump, we - Europe - are s... ", an experienced delegate from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe tells RBC-Ukraine This conversation took place even before Putin revived Zelensky's illegitimate side with a powerful push through Trump's special envoy for Ukraine