Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed optimism about a potential peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that US negotiators would soon visit both Moscow and Kyiv to broker an agreement.

• A chance for a peace settlement exists, according to Putin, with multiple countries including the US and China ready to support it.
• US negotiators are expected for meetings in Kyiv and Moscow in the coming days, according to President Zelenskiy.
• This development is significant given the rarity of upbeat assessments on peace prospects after 4-1/2 years of conflict and recent escalations in long-range air and naval attacks.