Russia Pushes to Retake Kursk as Ceasefire Talks Stall

Ukraine faces mounting pressure in Kursk while global leaders deliberate on peacekeeping efforts and ceasefire conditions.

Russian forces have regained significant territory in Kursk, reducing Ukraine's control to less than 200 square kilometers from a peak of 1,300 square kilometers during last year's incursion.
Ukraine's President Zelensky accuses Russia of prolonging the war, citing troop buildups near the Sumy border and continued drone strikes across multiple regions.
A proposed 30-day ceasefire, backed by the U.S. and accepted by Ukraine, remains uncertain as Putin sets additional conditions and amplifies claims of Ukrainian war crimes in Kursk.
Global leaders, including the U.K.'s Keir Starmer and France's Macron, discuss potential peacekeeping deployments, but NATO troop involvement remains conditional on U.S. guarantees.
Tensions between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia have eased slightly after the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing, but long-term peace remains elusive.