At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday, the United States warned Russia to move toward peace and meet with Ukraine or face possible sanctions.

In an exclusive interview with NBC News on Aug. 24, U.S. Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism about diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine and claimed that Russia has made "significant concessions" during peace talks.

The upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and his counterpart Vladimir Putin is being used by the Kremlin to divide the U.S. from Europe over the war in Ukraine, according to analysis.

Trump has bristled at Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s stalling on an US proposal for direct peace talks with Zelensky.

The death toll in a major Russian missile and drone strike on the Ukrainian capital rose to 23, including four children, officials said Friday, as U.S.-led efforts to end the three-year war remain stuck in apparent limbo.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s invading forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine, a Ukrainian military official said Wednesday, seeking to capture more ground in their three-year war of attrition as U.S.-led peace efforts struggle to gain traction.

Beijing says Trump's call for China to join the U.S. and Russia to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles is "neither reasonable nor realistic."

The two countries appear to be trying to raise political pressure on each other and send signals to Washington in case peace talks move forward.