The Kremlin said contacts between the U.S. and Russia had taken place, the first time Moscow has hinted the two countries are discussing a potential plan to end fighting in Ukraine.

He is the author of Does Conquest Pay? The Exploitation of Occupied Industrial Societies. Today, about 20 percent of southeastern Ukraine is under Russian occupation, including Crimea and large parts of the Donetsk,

Ukraine has become a war lab for the future since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. As a result, Ukraine is at the forefront of military technology, leveraging robotics and automation to redefine modern warfare and serve as a testing ground for future combat technologies.