The surprise attack seeks to reverse Ukraine’s decreasing hold of the region. Since Kyiv’s forces gained partial control of Kursk following a daring cross-border assault last August, Russian troops, aided by North Korean soldiers, have halved the territory held by Ukraine, albeit while suffering thousands of casualties.

Kyiv renewed its offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, as Ukraine tries to hold territory there ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Since Ukraines

This refers to Putin's comments last month that he was willing to engage in dialogue with Trump but reiterated Moscow's demands which include fully occupying four Ukrainian regions—Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson rejecting of Ukraine's NATO membership.

The Russia-Ukraine war has been escalating for nearly three years, with no sign of a ceasefire on the horizon. Moscow continues to intensify its efforts to obliterate war-torn Ukraine, leaving the world deeply concerned.

Well, will we see peace break out in Ukraine in 2025? I genuinely hope so, but the portents are not good. There now seems to be a general perception that Ukraine is "losing" the war, in so far as Russian forces appear to have made continual advances in recent weeks.