Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned that Russia would use all military means at its disposal to conquer Ukrainian lands if a peace deal is not reached. Speaking to an audience of senior military officers during an annual meeting,

President Donald Trump on Monday described an end to the war in Ukraine as closer than ever, with American officials earlier in the day suggesting beefed-up security guarantees for Kyiv had advanced the peace talks — but that the US offer would not be on the table forever.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told ABC News during an exclusive interview in Moscow on Monday that he believes the warring parties are close to a deal.

President Donald Trump has directed U.S. officials to help to facilitate a “lasting and durable peace" between Ukraine and Russia, with a "very, very strong" package being presented.

The officials said talks with President Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, led to narrowing differences on security guarantees that Kyiv said must be provided, as well as on Moscow’s demand that Ukraine concede land in the Donbas region in the country’s east.

Russian glide bomb attacks in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region wounded 26 people including a child on Wednesday, according to the regional governor.

January WTI crude oil (CLF26) today is down -1.63 (-2.87%), and January RBOB gasoline (RBF26) is down -0.0506 (-2.92%). Crude oil and gasoline prices are selling off today, falling to 4.75-year nearest-futures lows.

The European Commission has proposed that the leaders use some of the frozen assets — totaling 210 billion euros ($246 billion) — to underwrite a 90 billion-euro ($105 billion) “reparations loan” to Ukraine. The U.K., Canada and Norway would fill the gap.