U.S. President Donald Trump says he's spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that the Russian leader told him “very strongly” that he will respond to Ukraine’s weekend drone attack on Russian airfields.

Representatives of Russia and Ukraine met for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks.

By making harsh, uncompromising demands in peace talks with Ukraine while continuing to pummel it with waves of missiles and drones, Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending a clear message: He will only accept a settlement on his terms and will keep fighting until they’re met.

The first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion ended after less than two hours.

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, but hopes for a breakthrough are still dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.

NATO foreign ministers are debating a U.S. demand for a big increase in defense spending, President Donald Trump's administration wants to focus on security challenges outside of Europe.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says he would try to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend peace talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week in Turkey.