Earlier on Wednesday, the Kremlin press service said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had held talks via video link. According to Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the sides discussed bilateral relations and "key international issues".

The Russian death toll may be as high as 325,000 in four years.

Ukraine rushes to boost air defenses as brief Russian airstrike pause on Kyiv nears end. Experts warn the temporary halt may strengthen Moscow's position.

Zelenskyy says Ukraine will "take corresponding steps" as Trump says Putin agreed to stop bombing Ukrainian cities for a week.

First lady Melania Trump said on Wednesday she is hoping for progress on her talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release more Ukrainian children amid the war between the two countries. “I’m working on it,

Confusion reigned about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine after President Donald Trump said he asked him to stop.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, also writing after the daily meeting, said 217 Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system had been recorded since the beginning of the year. She p