Ukraine and Russia have been exchanging major drone and missile strikes, with each seeking to gain an advantage as US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration nears

Russia says it has detected a shift from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his team towards recognising the "realities" on the ground in Ukraine, and sees this as a welcome sign as it prepares to study his plan for ending the war.

Trump has reaffirmed his intention to broker peace in Ukraine, declaring earlier this month that “Putin wants to meet” and that such a meeting is being set up. In the past, he has criticized U.S. military aid for Ukraine and even vowed to end the conflict in a single day if elected.

On the campaign trail last year, candidate Donald Trump, time after time, not only suggested he could swiftly bring an end to Russia’s unlawful war against Ukraine, but at times even insisted he could—and would—do it before being sworn into office.

The timeline significantly diverges from Trump's pre-election pledges to conclude the Russo-Ukrainian war within a day. Read also: Trump to inherit robust Ukraine policy from Biden - US State Secretary Two unnamed Trump associates stated that the 24-hour promise was a combination of "campaign bluster and a lack of appreciation of the

Pentagon chief candidate Pete Hegseth stated that the administration of the next US President Donald Trump will seek to end the war in Ukraine. He added that they would like to do this "as advantageously as possible" for Ukrainians,