Pope Leo XIV has confirmed his willingness for the Vatican to host the next round of Ukraine peace talks, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said."Finding in the Holy Father confirmation of the readiness to host the next talks between the parties in the Vatican,

By Tom Balmforth, Andreas Rinke and John Irish KYIV/BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) -For Ukraine and its allies, who spent months trying to win Donald Trump over to their cause in the war started by Russia, it is back to square one.

After Trump’s third phone call with Putin since his inauguration, it appears there will be no letup in fighting and less U.S. pressure on Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Kursk for the first time since Moscow claimed to have completely recaptured the region following a surprise incursion by Ukrainian forces last year, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday.

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.

U.S. President Donald Trump refuses to impose sanctions on Russia as it may hinder future business and trade opportunities with Moscow, the New York Times (NYT) reported on May 20, citing a White House official.

US President Donald Trump has refused to join the European Union's sanctions pressure on Russia after a conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Instead, he has expressed an intention to focus on economic cooperation with Moscow,

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.

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.