US president Donald Trump said he hoped Moscow would "do the right thing" and agree to a 30-day ceasefire after the Russian president made a series of demands for concessions. "Now we're going to see whether or not Russia is there, and if they're not, it'll be a very disappointing moment for the world," Mr Trump said.

Russia’s president appeared to hedge his bets on the issue of a Ukrainian ceasefire, saying it was a good idea but refusing to implement it, for now. That keeps the dialogue open with Donald Trump, but it means the war continues.

As momentum builds for a ceasefire with Russia , Ukraine has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip. The Ukrainian army stunned Russia in August by attacking across the border and taking control of an estimated 1,