Despite the highly anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska a week ago, peace in Ukraine remains elusive. Russia continues to launch heavy attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, making steady gains along the front lines.

At the White House, Trump told reporters that he would decide how to respond to Russia's aggression within the next two weeks, indicating that he might impose tariffs, sanctions or potentially leave Ukraine to fend for itself.

During a visit to Kyiv on Friday, NATO chief Mark Rutte reiterated the alliance's commitment to providing Ukraine with reliable security guarantees. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his belief that Russia was only feigning interest in negotiations, primarily to avoid sanctions.