The Kremlin has withstood pressure for an immediate cease-fire as a precondition for peace talks, but the Russian president’s push for normalizing relations with the United States appears in limbo.

The EU and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday without waiting for the United States to join them, a day after President Donald Trump's phone call with Vladimir Putin failed to elicit a promise for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

In September 2022, Moscow claimed to have annexed the four Ukrainian regions and to this day it does not fully control them. Putin illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. Kyiv has repeatedly rejected any suggestion it would surrender the regions.

A European leader has revealed he believes President Trump is losing his patience with Vladimir Putin over his stalling tactics over a ceasefire in Ukraine. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who was photographed talking to President Trump during the recent funeral of Pope Francis, said he thought time may be running out for Moscow.

Moscow’s proposal for peace talks backfired as Ukraine’s European allies persuaded Zelensky to accept U.S. cease-fire plan.

US President Donald Trump will speak to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine on Monday after peace talks between the two countries did not yield any result this week. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies in Moscow that preparations were underway for a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump,

The Kremlin said on Friday that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump was essential to make progress on Ukraine and other issues, but needed preparation and had to yield results when it happened.