The Kremlin is weighing options for a concession to US President Donald Trump that could include an air truce with Ukraine to try to head off the threat of secondary sanctions, even as Russia remains determined to continue its war.

Vladimir Putin started it. Joe Biden didn’t stop it. But, no matter his efforts to the contrary, this is the week in which Russia’s invasion of Ukraine becomes US President Donald Trump’s war.

By Dmitry Antonov MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favour, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from Washington.

The coming week could be pivotal in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected in Moscow midweek.

Donald Trump seems to have come up with a new strategy to force Vladimir Putin into ending the Ukraine war: going after Russia’s allies. The American president has said he wants to discourage Moscow’s allies from buying its oil to disrupt Russia’s economy – a move, he claimed, would end the conflict.

The coming week could mark a pivotal moment in the war between Russia and Ukraine So far Trump’s promises, threats and cajoling have failed to shift the Kremlin's position, and the stubborn diplomatic stalemate remains in place.

Just days before President Trump’s Friday ceasefire deadline for Ukraine, Russia is escalating its nuclear rhetoric. -Former President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Russia is abandoning its self-imposed moratorium on deploying intermediate-range nuclear-capable missiles,