US President Donald Trump has ditched his call for a ceasefire in Ukraine, backing instead Russian President Vladimir Putin’s push for a permanent peace agreement. That has not stopped some European leaders from pushing for a temporary truce first,

The incident highlights the continuing volatility near NATO's eastern border as Russia intensifies aerial attacks on Ukraine.

Ukraine's European allies have prioritized securing security guarantees for Kyiv as a core precondition for any deal to end the Ukraine war.

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO defense chiefs were due to hold a virtual meeting Wednesday, a senior alliance official said, as Western countries pushing for an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine devise possible future security guarantees for Kyiv that could help forge a peace agreement.

U. S. military leaders met with NATO defense chiefs on Wednesday to iron out details of security protections for Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal with Russia.