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.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb says he is pessimistic that a ceasefire can be achieved in Ukraine by summer's end, given that the momentum for a deal has slowed, and that Vladimir Putin has shown no interest in even agreeing to a temporary truce.