Vladimir Putin warned this week that Russia will try to expand the territory it controls in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western supporters reject Russian demands during upcoming peace talks, following an earlier freeze of negotiations after a vitriolic Defense Ministry speech.Putin said Russia prefers diplomacy to "eliminate the root causes of the conflict" but added that Moscow will "achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means" if talks fail, and he praised Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts.U.S. envoys are pressing a U.S. peace plan in Berlin while Volodymyr Zelensky resists ceding Donetsk and seeks security guarantees, as fighting continues and Russia highlights new weapons including the Oreshnik missile.