The Russian leader is convinced that Moscow’s battlefield superiority is growing, and that Ukraine’s defenses may collapse in the coming months, according to people close to the Kremlin.

Trump’s decision to help Ukraine fight an onslaught of Russian attacks reverses a Pentagon decision to withhold defensive weapons.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov listed Moscow's demands for a peace deal that would end its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, including Kyiv's demilitarization and neutrality, international recognition of territory occupied by Moscow, and the lifting of sanctions.