Russian commanders told Putin during an inspection visit that Moscow's forces had captured towns in Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk.

Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday as investors took stock of dented hopes of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal and rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East around Yemen.

Rep. Mike Turner's response came after ABC host Jonathan Karl grilled him over Trump blaming Ukraine for initiating the war with Russia.

Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone shortly before the meeting. Trump described it as a “good and very productive telephone call.”

Russia and Ukraine on Monday remained far apart on territorial issues that are blocking a peace deal, despite progress on security guarantees for Kyiv at talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

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Ukraine’s third-largest city plays an outsize role in Ukraine’s export-oriented economy, which depends on cheap routes to market. Before the war, Odessa’s three deep-sea ports handled roughly 60% of all exports.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview published late on Monday, said the West must understand that Russia holds the strategic initiative in Ukraine as discussions move forward on a possible settlement.