The ongoing saga between Russia and Ukraine

Russia appears to be making a last-minute push to capture as much Ukrainian territory as possible ahead of the summit between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Friday. Small groups of Russian troops have recently breached parts of Ukraine’s defenses in the eastern Donetsk region, according to local officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Moscow is trying to create a false narrative "that Russia is progressing, advancing, and Ukraine is suffering losses." Zelensky also vowed not to concede eastern territories to Russia in any peace agreement, asserting that giving up the Donbas region would allow Putin to "initiate a third war" in Ukraine. While Trump plans to hold talks with Zelensky and EU leaders today, he has made it clear that the Ukrainian leader will not be part of Friday's summit.