Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favour, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from Washington.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin indirectly responded to criticism from US President Donald Trump, saying he has "inflated expectations", the BBC Russian Service reports. During a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko,

The Russian president didn’t directly respond to President Trump’s ultimatum that Moscow halt its offensive by the end of next week or face financial penalties.