That will take some doing. Putin remains uninterested in peace talks as long as Russian troops continue to gain ground in Ukraine’s east, albeit at a slow pace, and while Ukrainian forces hold seized territory in the Kursk region inside Russia, according to John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and other former officials.

Days after Ukrainian troops seized part of Russia's Kursk region in a surprise attack, President Vladimir Putin told defense officials their "main objective" was to repel the invasion. Six months later,

Ukraine's military reportedly launched a new offensive in Russia's Kursk region, according to multiple Russian military bloggers on Thursday. Kyiv officials have not yet confirmed a new major operation in the region as of press time.