Ukraine driven out of Kursk ahead of Putin-Trump peace announcement
Ukraine was fighting for control of the last pocket of territory it holds in Russia's Kursk region on Monday night, as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin prepared to announce details of a temporary ceasefire.
Mr Trump and Putin are due to speak on the phone on Tuesday after Washington and Moscow held behind-the-scenes talks over the weekend.
Ukrainian troops have been forced into a hasty retreat from southern Russia after Mr Trump froze weapons and intelligence-sharing, depriving Kyiv of a bargaining chip in peace negotiations.
On Monday night, Mr Trump was said to be considering recognising Crimea as part of Russia in what would amount to a gift to Putin.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops were hanging on to a final sliver of territory and a few villages in the Kursk region as troops told of a chaotic escape under heavy fire.
With the withdrawal almost complete, Mr Trump said: 'I'll be speaking to President Putin [on] Tuesday. A lot of work's been done over the weekend.
'We're doing pretty well, I think, with Russia. We'll see if we have something to announce by Tuesday.'
Russia has strengthened its position in future talks to end the war after driving Ukrainian troops back across the border in Kursk.
On Monday Russia also claimed it was now gaining territory in the east of Ukraine, after piercing through defensive lines.
Putin rejected early offers of a 30-day truce last week, saying he had 'questions' over the agreement and whether it met some of Russia's key demands. It led to warnings from Sir Keir Starmer that Putin was playing for time.
When asked on the plane on Sunday night about concessions under consideration, Mr Trump replied: 'I think we'll be talking about land... we'll be talking about power plants.
'I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides, Ukraine and Russia. We're already talking about that, dividing up certain assets.'
The US president was likely referring to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and under Russian occupation since 2022.
Ukraine has urged Russian troops to withdraw from the plant, which is not currently generating electricity.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said on Monday night that 'we have never been closer to a peace deal'.
David Lammy, the foreign secretary, disclosed on Monday that he had held last-minute talks with JD Vance, the vice president, at his Washington DC residence on Sunday.
Mr Lammy is due to speak with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, on Tuesday.
She will likely raise her Brussels-led plan to raise €40 billion (£33.6 billion) in military support for Ukraine, which is open for 'non-EU partner states' to join.
On Monday she urged caution on Russia offering a peace deal.
'What we see right now is that Russia doesn't really want peace. And also the understanding around the table is that Russia can't really be trusted,' she said.
Ukraine's withdrawal from Kursk has sparked renewed fears Russia could mount an attack on the Ukrainian region of Sumy.
It is likely that Kyiv's forces are deliberately holding the border from defensible positions to prevent a complete collapse, allowing their Russian enemy to follow them freely over the frontier.
'The situation is really tense,' Liza Sherstyuk, an aid worker in the Sumy region, told The Telegraph.
'Residents in the city are very anxious, drones are shot down every day. The enemy forces are right on the border of our region...we are constantly asking people if they want to leave, but as of now, nobody does.'
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