The Times interviewed Russian soldiers who said they face a brutal fight to dislodge determined Ukrainian forces from a sliver of Russian land. Trapped civilians fear catastrophe.

President Trump has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin in attempts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, he told the New York Post. The big picture: Trump, who throughout his presidential campaign vowed to end the years-long war within 24 hours, told the outlet the Russian leader "wants to see people stop dying."

Like an object floating upwards yet still underwater, the bare, vague bones of a peace plan for Ukraine are taking shape. Despite a relative silence in policy announcements on this war from an otherwise vocal Trump administration,