Russian leaders hope Donald Trump’s cabinet picks, and his Kremlin-friendly inner orbit, will give Moscow an advantage in its ongoing conflict in Ukraine. CNN’s Fred Pleitgen has the details.

The president-elect has claimed he would end the war within 24 hours and previously said Ukraine would have benefited from an earlier peace deal.

Russia opposes simply freezing the conflict in Ukraine because Moscow needs a "solid and long-term peace" that resolves the core reasons for the crisis, President Vladimir Putin's foreign intelligence chief said on Tuesday.

President-elect Donald Trump's choice for national security advisor said the U.S. should find "the framework of a deal."

Moscow’s forces have launched a massive counteroffensive to retake land in the Kursk region, a potential bargaining chip for Kyiv.

Ukraine and Russia are both vying to make territorial gains ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration and his expected push