Russia pushes forward in Ukraine amid talk of negotiations

As Russian forces continue their grinding advance toward the supply hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, a new offensive appears to be nearly underway in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian troops said this week, in what would represent a major escalation along the 600-mile-long front.

A buildup of Russian troops in Ukraine’s southeast comes as uncertainty looms over how a Trump presidency will affect the war and whether the two sides will be pushed to the negotiating table. President-elect Donald Trump has long claimed he will put a quick end to the war, and some in Ukraine fear that would involve Kyiv capitulating to Russia.

Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week and urged him not to escalate the war, in a call the Kremlin denies took place. In the week since, however, Russian forces have redoubled their efforts on several fronts.

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