Open this photo in gallery: Russian T-72 tanks take part in military drills held in the southern Krasnodar region, Russia, on Dec. 2, 2024.Sergey Pivovarov/Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in military fatigues, ordered the swift defeat of Ukrainian forces in western Russia, a signal to the United States that Moscow holds the military initiative as they prepare to discuss a ceasefire on Thursday. Russia’s advances along the front in recent months and U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempt to strike a peace deal to end the three-year-old conflict in Ukraine have raised fears that Kyiv, which was backed by the...