The Russian government backed the aid pause with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters on Tuesday that Washington's decision could act as a spur to a peace agreement.

The anniversary was being marked as U.S. policies on Russia and Ukraine shift under President Donald Trump. Here's the latest: MOSCOW — President Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia does not see any way to resume “dialogue with Europe” after the EU adopted its 16th round of sanctions against Russia on the third anniversary of the invasion.

Russia said on Tuesday that any normalisation of relations with the United States would require the lifting of sanctions against Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was responding to a question about a Reuters report that said the United States is drawing up a plan to potentially give Russia sanctions relief as President Donald Trump seeks to restore ties with Moscow and stop the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked about the U.S. president's comments that Moscow could accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France could send troops if requested by Ukraine in response to a Russian breakthrough.

Trump believes Saudi Arabia is best placed to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table. He told reporters last night that both sides want a deal because they have no choice. This was the largest-scale Russian attack involving ships based in the Black Sea since the start of the year, Ukrainian navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk says.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's view that the Ukraine conflict is a proxy war between the United States and Russia is in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin's own assessment.

France has repeatedly lied, including about the Minsk agreements and guarantees of the political future of ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. This was stated by the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov to VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin.

As Russia bombs Ukraine and Trump pushes Zelenskyy for a "better deal," what will it take to end the war Vladimir Putin started?

Minutes after the fiery exchange, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Zelensky could "come back when he is ready for peace". Ukraine's prime minister has said his country is "firmly determined to continue co-operating with the United States" following the news that the US is pausing aid to Kyiv.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that pausing U.S. military aid to Ukraine would be the best contribution to the cause of peace, but cautioned that Russia needed to clarify the details of the move by U.S.