US President Donald Trump said later on Tuesday that Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky has told him Kyiv was ready for talks with Russia and the finalisation of a US minerals deal, days after the pair’s explosive White House meeting.

Kyiv celebrates independence from the Soviet Union as the long war with Russia has reached a dramatic moment, with Ukraine mounting the Kursk incursion and Moscow eyeing more east Ukrainian towns.

For Milan Kundera, who passed away this week, the "misunderstood" usage of the word "world" in World War I has unwittingly trapped every local event in a common global situation.

It’s not at all surprising that G7 has taken a tougher stance on Russia and decided to supply Ukraine with more equipment and money.

While the loss of Kharkiv in the northeast and Lyman in the Donetsk region, and now the pull-out from Kherson, are portraying Russia as a frail aggressor, security analysts suggest the war is far from over in Ukraine.

Peaceniks argue that Russia needs a victory or concession that will allow it to 'save face.'