In a another major blow for Vladimir Putin, 50% of Russians support a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine - at odds with the Kremlin. According to independent Russian pollster the Levada Center, only 41% of 1615 Russians surveyed backed their government's resistance to a cessation of the fighting in Ukraine, as per Kyiv Independent.

The research found that 53% of women and 66% of those under 24 wanted weapons to be dropped for 30 days. This comes after the White House acknowledged that the Kremlin was dragging its heels over a ceasefire agreement - something Kyiv has said it is ready to sign.

In an explosive interview with NBC News, Donald Trump said he was "p***** off" with his Russia counterpart. Putin had suggested President Zelensky's government be replaced and an interim administration run by the United Nations be brought in.

Reacting to the suggestion, the US President said: "You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when... Putin started getting into Zelensky's credibility, because that's not going in the right location.

"New leadership means you're not gonna have a deal for a long time," he added.

In an attempt to iron out the Kremlin's creaking relationship with the White House, Putin is sending Kirill Dmitriev, his Kyiv-born and US-educated envoy, to meet with Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff this week, according to Reuters.

In response to the reports on X, Mr Dmitriev said: “The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives. But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?”

Dmitriev was involved in the recent US-Russia talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and has worked with Witkoff on the release of US teacher Marc Fogel, who was arrested after trying to enter Russia with a small quantity of medical cannabis.