President Vladimir Putin is insisting that Russia must take control of four regions of Ukraine it doesn’t fully occupy as part of any agreement to end his war, according to three people in Moscow familiar with the matter.
The demand deals a blow to US President Donald Trump’s efforts to reach a ceasefire and a permanent end to the war, amid mounting frustration in the White House about a lack of progress in negotiations.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff sought to persuade Putin that Russia should agree to a ceasefire that halts fighting along the current frontlines during lengthy talks ...
