It’s been six months since Ukraine launched its surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region and its forces are still in control of a big chunk of the ceased territory – and as calls for peace negotiations grow louder,

Putin’s failure to expel Ukraine’s army from Russian territory may gain added significance as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a deal to end the war. While Russian troops continue to gradually advance on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv retains a bargaining chip in Kursk for a potential exchange of territory at any talks.

Kyiv and Moscow traded blame Sunday for a strike on a school in a Ukrainian-occupied town in Russia's Kursk region, as Washington urged both sides to make compromises to end the conflict.