Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow will extend its invasion of Ukraine if Kyiv and its allies do not meet his maximalist demands in the strained peace talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the Kremlin is prepared to use “military means” to achieve its goals in Ukraine if diplomatic efforts with the West fail to satisfy Moscow’s

U.S. administration officials signaled Monday a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine may be closer than ever.

Ukraine has relinquished its ambition of joining the NATO military alliance in exchange for Western security guarantees as a compromise to end the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said ahead of talks with U.S. envoys in Berlin.

Ukraine could receive security guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense pledge under a proposed peace deal with Russia, U.S. officials said on Monday — an unprecedented offer aimed at ending the war sparked by Moscow’s 2022 invasion.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told ABC News during an exclusive interview in Moscow on Monday that he believes the warring parties are close to a deal.

Talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine have intensified, with France and other European powers stressing the need for robust security guarantees for Kyiv before any discussion of territorial concessions.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine’s ability to strike back at Russia gives it leverage in peace talks.