On Friday, Ukraine and Russia had each handed over 390 soldiers and civilians in the biggest prisoner exchange since Russia launched its full-scale assault in February 2022. Both countries have each agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners, with another exchange expected on Sunday.

Trump’s lead envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Steve Witkoff, has had similar moments of confusion. In an interview in March, he could not name the regions over which the war is being fought. “These so-called four regions,” he said, struggling to recall them. “Donbas, Crimea... You know the names.”

Moscow’s battlefield edge is waning, experts say. But President Donald Trump seems disinclined to ramp up pressure on the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.

This week's prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was the largest since the war’s onset. But skepticism of a lasting truce, and President Trump’s peace-making, remains. Bridget Brink resigned as ambassador to Ukraine in April,

At least 14 people were injured after Russia attacked Ukraine's capital Kyiv early today with drones and missiles, triggering fires and strewing debris in districts throughout the city, the city's mayor said.

As Ukrainian drones strike deep into Russian territory, they are disrupting day-to-day life and reminding Russians that the war is not confined to the trenches.