The Kremlin rejects the idea of exchanging occupied territories with Ukraine
"Russia has never discussed and will never discuss an exchange involving its territory," Peskov emphasizes
War in Ukraine: Moscow says it recaptured a village in Kursk from the Ukrainians
The Ukrainian forces launched a surprise offensive in early August and claimed to have taken control of several hundred square kilometers in the Kursk region
Politico: The EU “funds” Russia’s war in Ukraine – Record LNG imports from Moscow in 2025
The surge comes after the expiration, on January 1, 2025, of a major agreement that had allowed the transit of Russian natural gas through pipelines crossing Ukraine