After call with Trump, Putin still refuses full ceasefire, again cites Russia's 'root causes' of war in Ukraine Zelensky dismisses Putin's demand to withdraw troops from 4 Ukrainian regions Commander of Ukraine's 59th Brigade replaced,

Russia and Ukraine have completed the first phase of what is expected to be the biggest prisoner exchange since the start of the war, with almost 800 people released on Friday.

Vladimir Putin has decided to continue the offensive in 2025 and seize more Ukrainian territory. However, these plans are unlikely to be realistic, according to the RBC-Ukraine article. According to RBC-Ukraine,

The US and European leaders are placing their hopes in the Vatican to engage Russia and Ukraine in peace talks, after President Donald Trump said Pope Leo XIV had expressed interest in the idea. The Kremlin isn’t so keen.

The official assessment suggests Vladimir Putin is enlarging his nuclear arsenal not just to improve his position ion the battlefield, but also in response to global concerns about the possibility of WW3.

Zelensky reveals ‘significant’ Russian losses in Kursk and says fight continues - Putin yesterday staged his first visit to Kursk since Russia claimed it expelled all Ukrainian forces from the region

Marco Rubio refused to call Vladimir Putin a "war criminal," despite grilling former secretary of state Rex Tillerson over the same issue in 2017. At a House Committee on foreign affairs session on Wednesday, the current secretary of state dodged questions on Putin, though admitted there had been "war crimes" in the war.

Russia confirmed it still seeks to annex four regions of Ukraine, plus Crimea, and force Ukraine to be a buffer state.