President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin is inclined to negotiate a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This assertion comes despite stern warnings from Moscow, which cautioned that any Western troops involved in enforcing such a peace agreement would be seen as targets by Russian military forces.
In an interview with Fox News’ chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump shared a direct message he claims to have conveyed to Putin: “I say, ‘Vladimir, it’s time for you to stop. It’s time for this war to end.’”
Trump expressed his belief that Putin is “ready to make a deal” to resolve the ongoing hostilities.
Despite these diplomatic overtures, fierce fighting persists across Ukraine, including in Russian-occupied areas.
The escalating drone warfare has compelled both armies to explore innovative countermeasures, often repurposing older weaponry to intercept modern unmanned aerial vehicles.
A video supplied by East2West shows a Russian soldier apparently losing control of a Soviet-era YakB-12.7 rotary machine gun mounted on an improvised ground platform.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump meet in 2019, before their relationship began to sour. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
The weapon begins spinning violently, dragging the service member around before throwing him several yards from the mounting. Another soldier ducks as the gun swings in his direction.
East2West reported that no one was injured, though News Media has not independently verified the location, date or circumstances of the footage.
The four-barrel machine gun was originally developed for use aboard the Soviet-designed Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter. Russian forces have reportedly attempted to repurpose such weapons as ground-based defenses against Ukrainian drones, East2West news reported.
An explosion lights up the sky over the city during a Russian missile and drone strike amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in Kyiv July 2, 2026. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said any multinational force deployed by Ukraine’s allies after a ceasefire would be unacceptable to Moscow.
“We would regard such units as legitimate military targets,” Zakharova said, according to a Reuters report published Wednesday.
Members of the Western “coalition of the willing” reaffirmed at a meeting in Paris this week that they intend to deploy a multinational force after hostilities end. The proposed force would seek to reassure Ukraine and help Kyiv rebuild its military.
Ukraine’s military said Wednesday that its forces struck the Balaklava thermal power station in Russian-occupied Crimea, a facility that accounts for nearly half of the peninsula’s electricity generation, according to Reuters.
Russia, meanwhile, launched another major drone and missile attack against Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, killing three people, regional Governor Oleh Kiper said. He said civilian, industrial and port infrastructure had been targeted during five consecutive days of Russian attacks.
Emergency services personnel work to extinguish a vehicle fire after a Russian drone attack in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, May 5, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said Wednesday that Ukraine expects to develop the technical capability to manufacture missiles for U.S.-made Patriot air-defense systems by the end of 2026.
Reuters contributed to this story.