Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that US President Donald Trump seeks peace, not conflict with Russia. At the same time, he advised the Kremlin not to mess around with the American leader, according to a post on Graham’s account on social platform X.

The move means Trump is walking back the 50-day deadline he set this month in response to Russia's continued bombing of Ukrainian cities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favour, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from Washington.