Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a clear indication Wednesday that he will not compromise on his demands for Ukraine to cede territory despite US President Donald Trump’s intensifying push for peace.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned that Russia would use all military means at its disposal to conquer Ukrainian lands if a peace deal is not reached. Speaking to an audience of senior military officers during an annual meeting,

U.S. President Donald Trump’s August summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, is looming large as the White House presses its peace efforts.

Russia officially annexed four provinces of Ukraine after the beginning of the war, though it does not fully control any of them.

As peace talks continue in Berlin, what - if anything - could potentially change Putin's mind? And could Europe do anything differently?

It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out a ceasefire by Christmas, saying Russia is likely to reject a new European-backed peace proposal and that Ukraine must be ready to continue fighting.

Washington and Kyiv appear to have made notable shifts to secure progress, but big questions remain, not least whether Moscow will once again reject making concessions.

President Trump thinks Russian dictator Vladimir Putin wants much more than what’s on the table in talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war, according to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. “The experts think that if he could get the rest of Donetsk,