US president Donald Trump said he hoped Moscow would "do the right thing" and agree to a 30-day ceasefire after the Russian president made a series of demands for concessions. "Now we're going to see whether or not Russia is there, and if they're not, it'll be a very disappointing moment for the world," Mr Trump said.

After clinging for more than seven months to a gradually shrinking area, Ukraine has seen its position worsen sharply in the past week.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered up to 200,000 soldiers into Ukraine, his aim was to sweep into the capital, Kyiv, in a matter of days. He wanted to overthrow the pro-Western government and return Ukraine to Russia's sphere of influence.