In their first call, Pope Leo emphasized dialogue with Putin about the Ukraine war, while the Kremlin leader claimed Kyiv was escalating the conflict after recent infrastructure attacks.

Putin's "victory" theory is based on the "assumption" that Russian troops can make longer, albeit small, advances on the front than Ukraine can hold its defenses and the West can help it. It is likely that Putin will continue to be guided by this "principle," refusing to hold meaningful negotiations with Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he's spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that the Russian leader told him “very strongly” that he will respond to Ukraine’s weekend drone attack on Russian airfields.

As Putin ramps up his summer offensive in Ukraine, will he succeed? - ANALYSIS: Russia is stepping up its summer offensive both on the ground and in the air but support from Europe and sophisticated drone warfare could help Ukraine hold Moscow back.

Trump said his latest call with Putin wouldn't lead to "immediate peace" as he relayed the Russian leader's plans to retaliate against Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials say at least five people, including a 1-year-old child, his mother and grandmother, were killed in a Russian drone strike on a northern Ukrainian overnight.

"It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace," President Trump posted on social media.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Russian terms to end the war, while Vladimir Putin dismissed any meetings with what he called a terrorist regime.

President Donald Trump says it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while” before pulling them apart and pursuing peace.