President Trump said ceasefire negotiations would begin "immediately," but the Kremlin has expressed little eagerness for a ceasefire in the war it began.

US President Donald Trump has held conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, EU leaders have politically endorsed the creation of a €150 billion loan fund to fund weapons amid growing threats from Russia.

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, but hopes for a breakthrough are still dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.