Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked Beijing to serve as guarantor for a prospective peace agreement on Ukraine, Axios reports. The overture, aimed at the United States and European nations, signals Moscow’s search for a security backstop acceptable to all sides.

After meeting with former President Donald Trump, leaders in Washington are turning their attention to what comes next for Russia and Ukraine. The White House says it is now working on concrete steps aimed at ending the war.

Former President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European officials that Washington could support a European force to keep the peace in Ukraine. The meeting, marked by mutual praise and security-focused discussion, ended with agreement to reconvene.

European officials have united in condemnation after Russia conducted a deadly missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Palm Sunday. The attack resulted in scores of casualties and has intensified international concern over the ongoing conflict.

Russia’s significant territorial gains in Ukraine appear to be stalling, with the British government reporting that Moscow seized 700 square kilometers in November 2024 but has since slowed its advance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that incoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s strength and unpredictability could be decisive in ending the nearly four-year war with Russia. Despite skepticism about a swift resolution, Zelenskyy remains hopeful that U.S. support under Trump will shift the conflict’s trajectory.