Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise battlefield visit on Wednesday, telling troops in the Kursk region of Russia to “completely destroy” the Ukrainian forces that have occupied parts of the area for nearly seven months.
The visit came as US envoy Steve Witkoff was headed to Moscow to discuss the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, which was agreed by the US and Ukraine at talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
Ukrainian forces first pushed across the border into Kursk last August in a surprise offensive meant to boost Kyiv’s leverage with Moscow. In recent weeks, Ukraine’s positions there have weakened significantly. On Wednesday, Russia said it had reclaimed the strategic city of Sudzha from Ukrainian forces.
In his remarks, Putin gave no indication of whether Russia is prepared to agree to the ceasefire but stressed that Kursk should be fully liberated “fairly soon.”
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trumpsaid the fate of the ceasefire is “up to Russia now.”For Gen Z, changing jobs can mean a bigger paycheck. Younger workers continue to see the largest gains from switching, offering a glimpse into how career mobility is evolving across generations. Subscribe to Bank of America Institute to explore the data.
Tens of thousands still remain missing after the RSF’s siege of El Fasher. The RSF also remains in control of the city, and the civil war continues to drag on with seemingly no end in sight.
After weeks of student-led protests over poor conditions in French schools, the government has promised to replace its controversial university admissions platform by 2028.
In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer breaks down Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s historic re-election victory and what it means for the country’s political future and democracy.