President Donald Trump has spent the past several days on a diplomatic sprint, setting the groundwork for a potential trilateral meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss pathways to end the yearslong war.

The second Oval Office meeting in six months between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went off smoothly, in sharp contrast to their disastrous encounter in February.

Major questions remain over what both sides might accept after Trump held successive talks with Putin and Zelensky.

As negotiations over the war carry on, President Vladimir V. Putin is pushing hard with tactics that have evolved over three and a half years.

Even as Ukrainians flee Russia’s renewed offensive, they maintain they are not ready to give up land for peace, as Trump says Putin is offering.

Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that “really secure” guarantees for Ukraine would have to involve Russia and its biggest ally China alongside the US, UK and France. However, Ukraine has previously said it would not accept Russia being given the right to thwart other countries coming to its defence.

Russia said on Wednesday attempts to resolve security issues relating to Ukraine without Moscow's participation were a "road to nowhere", sounding a warning to the West as it scrambles to work out guarantees for Kyiv's future protection.

Russia said on Wednesday that attempts to resolve security issues relating to Ukraine without the participation of Moscow was a "road to nowhere". Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the comments two days after U.