It was the two leaders’ first call since 2022, and the Russian president’s first with any major European leader since last year.

"Putin might use this perceived distraction as an opportunity to obtain further territory," a retired U.S. Colonel told Newsweek.

Russian forces have taken control of the first village in the east-central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk, Russian state media and war bloggers said on Monday, after Russia took 950 square kilometers of territory in two months.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia has taken full control of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, more than three years after President Vladimir Putin ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian-backed head of the region told Russian state television.