Negotiations with Moscow have been handled not by diplomats steeped in years of Russia policy, but by real estate developer Steve Witkoff, who has no background in foreign affairs

Volodymyr Zelensky said in a new interview that he believes Vladimir Putin will significantly "benefit" from his meeting with Trump.

Citing a report from his intelligence and military commands, Zelenskyy said in a statement that Putin "is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war. Putin is determined only to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before, applying the same pressure on Ukraine as before."