Kyiv said it was committed to the search for peace, but that it was waiting for a memorandum from the Russian side setting out their proposals.

Aiming to create a "buffer zone," Russian forces have seized villages near Sumy, Ukraine’s northern regional capital. As 50,000 Russian troops accumulate on Ukraine’s border, the Sumy region prepares for a renewed large-scale offensive. More than 200 settlements are under evacuation orders after Russia advanced deeper into Ukrainian territory.

Moscow’s dual campaign of intensified frontline attacks and bombardment of Ukrainian cities has further reduced the prospects for an end to the fighting.