Trump a day earlier gave Russia 50 days to strike a peace deal with Ukraine, voicing fresh frustration with Moscow as he laid out an arrangement with NATO to supply Kyiv with new military aid sponsored by the alliance’s members.

President Trump counselled Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to take the war to Russia and asked whether Kyiv was able to hit Moscow and St Petersburg, according to a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the exchange.

President Trump announced that NATO members will send existing weapons to Ukraine and buy new ones from the US, and gave Russia 50 days to agree to a ceasefire before economic penalties are threatened.

Mr Putin’s war against Ukraine inadvertently led to an end to the hitherto intractable conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which is now struggling to break free of Russia’s grip and make peace with Turkey.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to hit buyers of Russian exports with sanctions unless Russia agrees to a peace deal over the conflict in Ukraine, potentially complicating Moscow's oil sales to China,

The setback to peace plans also resulted in President Putin smelling an opportunity to maximise Russia's territorial gains, and Russia has continued its war efforts vigorously thereafter

Further negotiations with Russia will only be possible after the completion of the agreed exchanges of prisoners of war. — Ukrinform.

Lucy and Vitaly answer all that, and consider the delicate diplomatic balance Turkey is attempting to strike during this conflict, alongside the BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko.

The cost of armed aggression against Ukraine continues to rise for Russia. And it's not just about dead soldiers and economic losses, but also about the loss of geopolitical influence. One of the most important consequences of the war in Ukraine for Russia has been the loss of influence in the South Caucasus, writes The Economist.

Once strategic partners in the post-Soviet order, Russia and Azerbaijan are drifting into open hostility. From diplomatic snubs to deaths in custody and geopolitical realignments, ties between Moscow and Baku are under unprecedented strain.