Russia has been attempting ― and failing ― to take the whole country since February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled out ceding territory as part of the talks. “There is nothing to talk about,” Zelenskyy said Tuesday. “It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people.”

The Kremlin said it reserves the right to use nuclear weapons if it faces aggression by Western countries. Overnight, Moscow attacked Kyiv, killing at least eight people.

President Donald Trump asserted Thursday that Russia has already made a "pretty big concession" in the war in Ukraine by not attempting to seize the entire country. The president also contends that Russia's willingness to engage in peace talks that would "stop the war" is a concession.